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rHE OCEAN PLAGUE: 



VOYAGE TO QUEBEC IN AN IRISH EMIGRANT VESSEL. 



EMBRACING 



QUARANTINE AT GROSSE ISLE IN 1847. WITH NOTES ILLUSTRATIVE OF 
THE SHIP-PESTILENCE OF THAT FATAL YEAR. 



EY A CABIN PASSENGER. 




To throvr starving and diseased paupers under the rock at Quebec, ought to be punishable as murder." 

Lord Sydenham. 



BOSTON: 
COOLIDGE AND WILEY, 12 WATER STREET. 

18 48. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1848, by 

KOBERT WHYTE, 

In tho Clerk's office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 



CONTENTS. 



INTRODUCTION. 
CHAPTER I. 



Parting. — On. board. — Weighing anchor. — Introductions. — 
Antrim coast. — An intelligent youth — his capabilities. — A 
contrast. — The mate. — The mistress. — A discovery. — An ex- 
tra passenger. — A muster. — Rations. — A treasure. — Fishing. 
- — An unanticipated deprivation. — Departure. 

CHAPTER II. 

The ocean. — A medicine chest. — Observations. — Cookery. 

— Sailor's employment. — New acquaintances. — Geographical 
knowledge. — Boundary line. — Ocean's inmates. — Charts. — A 
practical joke. — Sunday. 

CHAPTER III. 

One having authority. — Company. — A warning. — - The little 
shoemaker. — A brilliant exploit. — A puzzle. — The cabin. — 
Alarming news. — Bad water. — Insubordination. — An inuendo^ 

— The hold. — • An extinguisher. 



y { CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER IV. 

An unwelcome follower. — A cheerless Sabbath. — A tempting 
cask. — Spread of fever. — Death and burial. — Sudden attacks. 
— Awful position. — Tough yarns. — A horrid spectacle. — A 
convalescent. 

CHAPTER V. 

Fog. — A scene of horror. — Speaking. — Sounding. — Death 
of two brothers. — Their burial. — Silent grief. — Phosphores- 
cence. — Cod fishery. — The banks of Newfoundland. — Sickness 
among the crew. — Newfoundland coast. — Effect of fear. — An 
inheritance. — An auction. 

CHAPTER VI. 

Bearings. — Capes North and Ray. — Isle St. Paul. — En- 
trance of the gulf. — Jacques Cartier. — The Bird and Magdalen 
Islands. — Mackerel breeze. — Great take. — Anticosti. — Gas- 
pe. — The river. — Aurora borealis. — A birth. — North shore. — 
A gale. 

CHAPTER VII. 

Calm after storm. — More deaths. — A take-in. — Charming 
vistas. — A delirious patient. — Kempt road. — Trois Pistolles. — 
A friendless burial. — Scarcity of water. — Mirage. 

CHAPTER VIII. 
A friendly sail. — Beautiful sunset. — A trial of patience. — 



CONTENTS. v ii 

Village bells. — A youthful visitor. — The charm broken. — - Lake 
St. John.- — The Saguenay. 

CHAPTER IX. 

Night sail. — Karnouraska. — Malbaie. — Lovely panorama. — 
Floating with the tide. — Preparations. — Isle-aux-coudres. — 
St. Anne's. — Evening. — The Traverse. — St. Thomas'. — Ar- 
rival at G-rosse Isle. — Signal. 

CHAPTER X. 

A hasty visit. — An old friend with a new face. — Blighted 
hopes. — A polluted stream. — Steamers. — Canadian priests. — 
Beauty of the isle. — Transmission of patients. — Funerals. — 
Friends. 

CHAPTER XL 

Another death. — Doctor's second visit. — Separations. — Af- 
flicting scene. — Walk on Grosse Isle. — Doctor's residence. — 
A Fort. — Delightful prospect. — A store. — An untimely 
dance. — A rash vow. — Yessels in quarantine. — A busy scene. 

CHAPTER XII. 

An inspection. — Deep affliction. — ■ A chase. — German emi- 
grants. — A recognition. — Seamen's hospital. — Clean Bills. — 
Vesper hymn. — Departure. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Sail up the river. — Scenery. — Canadian Cottages. — Short 



Viii CONTENTS. 

tacks. — L'isle cl' Orleans. — Monster ships. — Falls of Mont- 
morenci. — Quebec. — Harbour-master and physician. — Dis- 
charge from quarantine. — Sail to Montreal. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Inefficacy of the quarantine system. — Mortality among doc- 
tors and clergymen. — Montreal. — Toronto. — The emigrants. — 
Their sufferings. — Duty of protecting them. 

APPENDIX. 



INTRODUCTION. 

Men judge by the complexion of the sky, 
The state and inclination of the day : 
So may you by my dull and heavy eye, 
My tongue hath but a heavier tale to say. 
I play the torturer by small and small 
To lengthen out the worst that may be spoken. 

SHAKSPEARE. 

Emigration has for a long time been considered by- 
British political economists the most effective means of al- 
leviating the grievous ills under which the Irish peasantry- 
labor. It is not our province to inquire into its expedi- 
ency ; but viewing the subject with the single eye of com- 
mon-sense, it is difficult to see the necessity of expatriating 
the superfluous population of a country wherein hundreds 
of thousands of acres of land susceptible of the highest 
culture, lie waste, — whose mines teeming with wealth 
remain un worked, — and which is bordered by more than 
two thousand miles of sea coast, whose banks swarm with 
ling, cod, mackerel, &c, while salt-fish is largely imported 
from Scotland. 

Many years previous to legislators taking up the matter, 
emigration from Ireland existed, and that of a class of 
persons which could be badly spared from the already 
impoverished island ; consisting as it did of small but 
substantial farmers, who perceiving but a gloomy prospect 
before them, sold off their land, and, turning their capital 
into cash, availed themselves of the opportunities that 
2 



10 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



existed to find comfort and independence by settling in 
America. m 

The majority of these adventurers being successful in 
their undertakings, they induced their relatives and friends 
to follow them ; and thus a strong tide of emigrants, whose 
number gradually increased each season, set toward the 
West. 

This progressive and natural system of emigration, 
however, gave place within the last few years to a violent 
rush of famished, reckless human beings, flying from their 
native land, to seek food in a distant and unknown country. 

The cause of this sudden change is easily ascertained. 
Every one is familiar with the wretched lot of the Irish 
peasantry, — obliged to work for a miserable pittance, their 
chief reliance was upon the crop of potatoes grown by 
each family in the little patch of ground attached to their 
hut; a poor dependence indeed, not only as regards the 
inferiority of the potato as the sole diet of a people, but 
from the great uncertainty always attending its propagation. 
The consequences of even a partial failure — an event of 
common occurrence — being of the most serious nature. 

In the year 1822, the deficiency was so general that the 
price quadrupled, and the peasantry of the south and west 
were reduced to actual starvation. To alleviate the distress 
a committee was formed in London, and sub-committees 
throughout England ; and such was the benevolence of 
individuals, that large funds were in a short time at their 
disposal. By the end of the year subscriptions had been 
raised in Great Britain amounting to £350,000 ; to which 
parliament added a grant of £300,000 ; while the local 
collections in Ireland were £150,000 ; making altogether 



•THE OCEAN PLAGUE. H 

dkSOOjGOQ, — a large sum, but how inadequate to meet the 
wants of some three or four millions of starving people ? 

This serious warning it should be supposed would have 
opened the eyes of the country to the necessity of having 
something else as a resource under a similar emergency ; 
but a plentiful season lulled them into forgetfulness of what 
they had suffered, and apathy concerning the future. 

So abundant was the produce of the seasons 1842 and 
1843, that the poorest beggar refused potatoes, and they 
were commonly used to manure the land. 

But the blight of the crop of 1845, and the total destruc- 
tion of that of 1846, brought the country to the lowest ebb, 
and famine with its attendant, disease, stalked through 
the land. 

Charity stretched forth her hand from far and near. 
America giving liberally of her abundance. But all that 
could be done fell far short of the wants of the dying 
sufferers. The government stepped forward, and advanced 
funds for the establishment of public works ; this was 
attended with much advantage and mitigated a great deal 
of distress ; but unfortunately, all the money had to be re- 
turned in the shape of onerous taxation upon the landowners. 

The gentry became seriously alarmed, and some of them 
perceiving that the evil was likely to increase year after 
year, took into their consideration what would be the surest 
method of terminating it. 

At length it was discovered that the best plan would be 
to get completely rid of those who were so heavy a burthen 
upon them, by shipping them to America; at the same 
time publishing to the world, as an act of brotherly love 
and kindness, a deed of crafty, calculating selfishness, — 



3 2 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. . 

for the expense of transporting each individual was less 
than the cost of one year's support in a workhouse. 

It required but little argument to induce the prostrated 
people to accede to their landlords' proposal, by quitting 
their poverty-stricken country for " a land flowing with 
milk and honey," — poor creatures, they thought that any 
change would be for the better. They had nothing to 
risk, every thing to gain. " Ah ! Sir," said a fellow-pas- 
senger to me, after bewailing the folly that tempted him 
to plunge his family into aggravated misfortune, — "we 
thought we couid'nt be worse off than we war ; but now 
to our sorrow we know the differ ; for sure supposin we 
were dyin of starvation, or if the sickness overtuk us. We 
had a chance of a doctor, and if he could do no good for 
our bodies, sure the priest could for our souls ; and then 
we'd be buried along wid our own people, in the ould 
church-yard, with the green sod over us; instead of dying 
like rotten sheep thrown into a pit, and the minit the 
breath is out of our bodies, flung into the sea to be eaten 
up by them horrid sharks." 

It cannot excite the least surprise that these wretched 
beings should carry with them the seeds of that plague 
from which they were flying ; and it was but natural 
that these seeds should rapidly germinate in the hot-bed 
holds of ships crammed almost to suffocation with their 
distempered bodies. In short, nothing was wanted to en- 
courage the speedy development of the direst disease and 
misery ; but alas ! every thing that could check their spread 
was absent. 

My heart sickens when I think upon the fatal scenes of 
the awfully tragic drama enacted upon the wide stage of the 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 13 

Atlantic ocean, in the floating lazar houses that were wafted 
upon its bosom during the never-to-be-forgotten year 1847. 

Without a precedent in history, may God grant that the 
account of it may descend to posterity without a parallel. 

Laws for the regulation of passenger ships were in ex- 
istence ; but whether on account of difficulty arising from 
the vast augmentation of number, or some other cause, 
they (if at all put in force) proved quite ineffectual. 

"What a different picture was presented by the Germans 
who migrated in large bodies ? who, — although the trans- 
mission of human beings from Fatherland must always be 
attended by more or less pain and trouble, — underwent 
none of those heart-rending trials reserved exclusively for 
the Irish emigrant. 

Never did so many souls tempt all the dangers of the 
deep, to seek asylums in an adopted country ; and, could 
we draw a veil over the sad story of the ship pestilence, 
" this migration of masses, numbering of late years more 
than 100,000 annually, now to nearly 300,000 annually, 
not in the warlike spirit of the Goths and Vandals who 
overran the Roman Empire, and destroyed the monuments 
of art and evidences of civilization, but in the spirit of 
peace, anxious to provide for themselves and their children 
the necessaries of life, and apparently ordained by Provi- 
dence to relieve the countries of the old world, and to 
serve great purposes of good to mankind, — is one of the 
most interesting spectacles the world ever saw."^ 

The reader must not expect to find anything more in 
these pages than a faithful detail of the occurrences on 
board an emigrant vessel. The author has no desire to 

* Immigration into the United States. By J. Chickering. Boston, 1848. 



II THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

exaggerate, were it possible to do so. And he who wishes 
to arrive at any conclusion as to the amount of suffering, 
must calculate, from the affliction that I have faintly por- 
trayed upon a small scale, what must have been the unut- 
terable " weight of woe " in ships whose holds contained 
five or six hundred tainted, famished, dying mortals. 

The following extract from the London Times news- 
paper presents a faithful and graphic review of the dire 
tragedy. 

" The great Irish famine and pestilence will have a place 
in that melancholy series of similar calamities to which 
historians and poets have contributed so many harrowing- 
details and touching expressions. Did Ireland possess a 
writer endued with the laborious truth of Thucydides, the 
graceful felicity of Virgil, or the happy invention of De 
Foe, the events of this miserable year might be quoted by 
the scholar for ages to come, together with the sufferings 
of the pent-up multitudes of Athens, the distempered plains 
of northern Italy, or the hideous ravages of our own great 
plague. But time is ever improving on the past. There 
is one horrible feature of the recent, not to say present 
visitation, which is entirely new. The fact of more than 
a hundred thousand souls flying from the very midst of a 
calamity across a great ocean to a new world, crowding 
into insufficient vessels, scrambling for a footing on a deck, 
or a berth in a hold, committing themselves to these worse 
than prisons, while their frames were wasted with ill fare 
and their blood infected with disease, fighting for months 
of unutterable wretchedness against the elements without 
and pestilence within, giving almost hourly victims to the 
deep, landing at length on shores already terrified and 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 15 

diseased, consigned to encampments of the dying and the 
dead, spreading death wherever they roam, and having no 
other prospect before them than a long continuance of 
these horrors in a still farther flight across forests and lakes 
under a Canadian sun and a Canadian frost — all these are 
circumstances beyond the experience of the Greek historian 
or Latin poet, and such as an Irish pestilence alone could 
produce. 

" By the end of the season there is little doubt that the 
emigration into Canada alone will have amounted to 100,- 
000 ; nearly all from Ireland. We know the condition in 
which these poor creatures embarked on their perilous 
adventure. They were only flying from one form of death. 
On the authority of the Montreal Board of Health we are 
enabled to say that they were allowed to ship in numbers 
two or three times greater than the same vessels would 
have presumed to carry to an United States port. 

" The worse horrors of that slave-trade which it is the 
boast or the ambition of this empire to suppress, at any 
cost, have been reenacted in the flight of British subjects 
from their native shores. In only ten of the vessels that 
arrived at Montreal in July, four from Cork and six from 
Liverpool, out of 4,427 passengers, 804 had died on the 
passage, and 847 were sick on their arrival ; that is, 847 
were visibly diseased, for the result proves that a far larger 
number had in them the seeds of disease. ' The Larch, 1 
says the Board of Health, on August 12th, 'reported this 
morning from Sligo, sailed with 440 passengers, of whom 
108 died on the passage, and 150 were sick. 

" ' The Virginius sailed with 596 ; 158 died on the pas- 
sage, 186 were sick, and the remainder landed feeble and 
tottering; the captain, mates, and crew, were all sick.' 



1$ THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

" The Blackhole of Calcutta was a mercy compared to 
the holds of these vessels. Yet simultaneously, as if in 
reproof of those on whom the blame of all this wretched- 
ness must fall, foreigners, Germans from Hamburg and 
Bremen are daily arriving, all healthy, robust, and cheerful. 

" This vast unmanageable tide of population thus 
thrown upon Montreal, like the fugitives from some bloody 
defeat, or devastated country, has been greatly augmented 
by the prudent, and, we must add, most necessary precau- 
tions adopted in time by the United States, where most 
stringent sanitary regulations, enforced by severe penalties, 
have been adopted to save the ports of the Union from 
those very horrors which a paternal government has 
suffered to fall upon Montreal. Many of these pest ships 
have been obliged to alter their destination, even while at 
sea, for the St. Lawrence. 

" At Montreal a large proportion of these outcasts have 
lingered from sheer inability to proceed. The inhabitants 
of course have been infected. 

" A still more horrible sequel is to come. The survivors 
have to wander forth and find homes. Who can say how 
many will perish on the way, or the masses of houseless, 
famished, and half-naked wretches that will be strewed on 
the inhospitable snow when a Canadian winter sets in ? 

" Of these awful occurrences some account must be 
given. Historians and politicians will some day sift and 
weigh the conflicting narratiws- ir ^|L documents of this 
lamentable year, and pronounce with or without affecta- 
tion, how much is due to the inclemency of heaven, and 
how much to the cruelly, heartlessness or improvidence of 
man. The boasted institutions and spirit of the empire 
arc on trial. They are weighed in the balance. 

4ft 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 17 

" Famine and pestilence are at the gates, and the con- 
science-stricken nation will almost fear to see the ' writing 
on the wall.' 

" "We are forced to confess that, whether it be the fault 
of our laws or our men, this new act in the terrible drama 
has not been met as humanity and common-sense would 
enjoin. The result was quite within the scope of calcula- 
tion, and even of care." 

Miscalculation, and want of care, are terms far too mild 
to apply to such wanton negligence as resulted in the 
immediate sacrifice of upwards of 25,000 souls, four fifths 
of whom fell upon their way to Canada. From the report 
issued at the end of the season, it appears that, of the 
98,105 (of whom 60,000 were Irish) that were shipped for 
Quebec, 

There died at sea, 5,293 

At Grosse Isle and Quebec, 8,072 

In and above Montreal, 7,000 



Making 20,365, 

besides those who afterwards perished, whose number can 
never be ascertained. Allowing an average of 300 per- 
sons to each, 200 vessels were employed in the trans- 
mission to Canada of Irish emigrants alone ; and each of 
these vessels lost one third of her living cargo ere she 
again set sail upon her return to Europe. 

If we suppose those 60,000 persons to be an army on 
their way to invade some hostile power, how serious would 
appear the loss of one third of their number before a 
battle was fought ? Yet the 40,000 who landed upon the 
Canadian shores had to fight many a deadly battle before 
2 # 



18 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. ' 

they could find peace or rest. Or, in order to make the 
matter sensible to those who know the value of money 
better than of human life, let us multiply 20,000 by 5, the 
cost in pounds sterling of the passage of each individual, 
and we perceive a loss of £100,000, or $500,000 dollars. 
But it may be thought that the immolation of so many 
wretched starvelings was rather a benefit than a loss to the 
world. It may be so. Yet — untutored, degraded, fam- 
ished, and plague-stricken, as they were ; I assert that there 
was more true heroism, more faith, more forgiveness to 
their enemies, and submission to the Divine Will, exem- 
plified in these victims, than could be found in ten times 
the number of their oppressors. 



CHAPTER I. 

Each moment plays 
His little weapon in the narrower sphere 
Of sweet domestic comfort, and cuts down 
The fairest bloom of sublunary bliss. 
Bliss — sublunary bliss ; — proud words and vain. 
Implicit treason to divine decree, 
A bold invasion of the rights of heaven, 
I clasp'd the phantoms, and I found them air. 
O, had I weighed it ere my fond embrace, 
What darts of agony had miss'd my soul. 

YOUNG. 

May 30th, 1847. 

Many and deep are the wounds that the sensitive heart 
inflicts upon its possessor, as he journeys through life's 
pilgrimage ; but on few occasions are they so acutely felt, 
as when one is about to part from those who formed a 
portion of his existence ; deeper still pierces the pang as 
the idea presents itself that the separation may be for ever; 
but when one feels a father's nervous grasp, — a dear sis- 
ter's tender, sobbing embrace ; and the eye wanders 
around the apartment drinking in each familiar object, 
until it rests upon the vacant chair which she who nursed 
his helpless infancy was wont to occupy, then the agony 
he wishes to conceal becomes insupportable. But as the 
skilful surgeon tears ofT the bandage which the hand of 
affection gently withdraws from the wound, — thereby un- 
consciously inflicting greater pain ; so it is better not to 
linger upon the affecting scene ; but rush suddenly away. 

Tt was a charming morning on which I left dear old Ire- 



L'O 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



land; — the baltny new-born day, in all the freshness of 
early summer, was gladdened by the beams of the sun 
which rose above the towers of the city, sunk in undisturb- 
ed repose. It was a morning calculated to inspire the droop- 
ing soul with hope ; auguring future happiness. 

Too soon I arrived at the quay, and left my last foot- 
print on my native land. The boat pushed oft', and in a 
few minutes I was on board the brig that was to waft me 
across the wide Atlantic. 

There was not a soul on deck ; but presently the grizzled 
head of the captain was protruded from the cabin ; and 
from the uninviting aspect of his face I feared that he 
would prove an unsocial companion for a long voyage. 
He received me as kindly as his stubborn nature would 
allow ; and I was forced to admire the manly dignity of 
the rude tar, when, from the bent attitude he was obliged 
to assume while ascending the companion ladder, he 
stood upright on the deck. The sailors now issued from 
the forecastle, and the mate came up and introduced him- 
self to me. 

The captain having given the word to weigh anchor, a 
bustle immediately arose throughout the vessel ; the sea- 
men promptly proceeded to their work, with apparent pleas- 
ure ; although (being the Sabbath) they did not accompa- 
ny the action with the usual chant. The chain having 
become entangled in the cables of some fishing boats, it 
was a considerable while before the anchor was hoisted. 
At length, the top-sails were unreefed, and our bark glided 
through the beauteous bay. 

In a short time we rounded the promontory of Howth ; 
having taken the north channel as the wind was southerly. 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 21 

The captain then led me down to the cabin for break- 
fast, and introduced me to his wife, who, he informed 
me, always accompanied him to sea, and whom I shall for 
the future designate as the mistress, — as by that term she 
was known to both crew and passengers. Feeling an in- 
clination towards squeamishness, and being much more 
sick at heart, I retired to my state-room ! and lying down 
upon the berth, fell into a dreamy slumber, in which I 
remained until aroused ; when I found it was late in the 
afternoon, and tea was ready. I felt somewhat revived by 
the grateful beverage; and accompanied the captain on 
deck. We were off Carlingford, and the mountains of 
Mourne. The passengers were cooking their evening 
meal at their fires upon the fore-deck; and the sailors 
discussing their coffee in the forecastle. I endeavored to 
enter into conversation with the captain, but he was pro- 
vokingly taciturn ; however, we were soon joined by the 
mistress, who was not unwilling to make up for her hus- 
band's deficiency. The sun set; and twilight subsided 
into darkness ; a cold night breeze also told that it was 
time to go below. 

Monday, May 31st. 

I rose early, and inhaled the fresh morning air. We 
made good progress during the night, and the bold cliffs of 
the coast of Antrim were visible on one hand, the Scotch 
shore on the other. At 8, A. M., the bell rang for break- 
fast, and I took my seat opposite the captain. The mis- 
tress sat in an arm-chair, and the mate on a stool next me, 
completing the cabin circle. We were attended by Simon 
the cabin-boy, whom at first sight I took to be a " darky." 

His face was coated with smoke and soot, streaked by 



92 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

the perspiration that trickled from his brow, which was 
surmounted by a thicket of short, wiry black hair, standing 
on end ; his lustreless brown eyes I cannot better describe 
than by borrowing a Yankee illustration : they were " like 
two glass balls lighted by weak rush lights;" — his lips 
were thick, straight, and colorless ; his complexion, (when 
unveiled) was a grimy yellow ; — and the expression of 
his wide flat face, idiotic. He wore a red flannel shirt, 
and loose blue pilot trowsers ; but, neither shoes, nor 
stockings ; his movements were slow, except at meals, 
when he seemed to regain his suspended animation ; and 
it was a goodly sight to see him gulping coffee, bolting 
dodges of fat pork, and crunching hard biscuit, as raven- 
ously as a hungry bear. 

No two specimens of human nature could possibly pre- 
sent more striking contrasts than Simon and his fellow- 
apprentice Jack. The latter was about 15 years of age, 
remarkably small and active. Squirrel never climbed tree 
more nimbly than Jack could go aloft ; and in the accom- 
plishments of chewing and smoking he might compete 
with the oldest man aboard ; his fair skin was set off by 
rosy cheeks ; and his sparkling blue eyes beamed with — 
devilment. He was a favorite of every one except the 
mistress, with whom his pranks did not pass, being there- 
fore exempt from the menial offices of cabin boy, which 
devolved upon Simon ; his principal amusement consisted 
in persecuting that genius. 

The mate was a very little man, not more than five feet 
high ; but in excellent condition, as seamen generally are ; 
he was lame in one leg ; which deformity he took great 
pains to hide ; causing a constrained limp that was ex- 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 23 

tremely ludicrous ; he was well-looking, and sported a 
capacious pair of black whiskers, the outline of which he 
frequently altered. He had been a " captain," but unfortu- 
nately, loving the bottle, he lost his " caste." There existed 
little confidence between him and the captain ; and both 
being of a warm temperament, there were occasional 
symptoms of collision; but they were prevented from 
ending in open rupture by the timely interference of the 
mistress, on whom the captain would let loose his wrath, 
which though expressed in no gentle terms, she bore with 
exemplary patience. 

The mistress was small, ruddy, and sun-burnt ; having 
seen some sixty winters, forty of which she had spent at 
sea, — generally in the home trade ; but varied occasionally 
by a voyage to Russia, or to America. She was in the 
habit of keeping a private log, in which she noted the 
incidents of her travels. I was allowed to look into this 
interesting production, which amused me no less by the 
originality of the orthography, than its elegance of diction. 
Being a native of Cumberland, her pronunciation was 
not particularly euphonious ; she also, when addressing her 
husband, the mate, and all familiar acquaintances, used 
the terms " thee " and " thou," invariably reversing their 
grammatical order. 

Tuesday, June 1st. 

After breakfast, the mate invited me to see the depot of 
provisions. I accordingly followed him, descending by a 
ladder into an apartment partitioned off from the hold, and 
dividing it from the cabin. 

By the light, from the lantern I perceived a number of 
sacks, which were filled with oatmeal and biscuit. The 



24 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



mate having proceeded to prepare the passengers' rations 
for distribution, I sat down upon one of the sacks, from 
beneath which suddenly issued a groan. I jumped up ? 
quite at a loss to account for the strange sound, and looked 
at the mate, in order to discover what he thought of it. He 
seemed somewhat surprised ; but in a moment removed 
two or three sacks ; and lo ! there was a man crouched up 
in a corner. As he had not seen him before, the mate at 
once concluded that he was a "stowaway," so giving him 
a shake to make him stand upright, he ordered him to 
mount the ladder, bestowing a kick upon the poor wretch 
to accelerate his tardy ascent. 

The captain was summoned from below, and a council 
immediately held for the trial of the prisoner, who con- 
fessed, that not having enough of money to pay for his 
passage, he bribed the watchman employed to prevent the 
possibility of such an occurrence. He had been concealed 
for three days, but at night made his way into the hold, 
through a breach in the partition : his presence was there- 
fore known to some of the passengers. He had no clothes 
but the rags he wore ; nor had he any provisions. To 
decide what was to be done with him was now the con- 
sideration, but the captain hastily terminated the delibera- 
tion, by swearing that he should be thrown overboard. 
The wretched creature was quite discomfited by the 
captain's wrath, and earnestly begged for forgiveness. It 
was eventually settled that he should be landed upon the 
first island at which we should touch; with which decision 
he appeared to be quite satisfied. He said that he was 
willing to work for his support; but the captain swore 
determinedly that he should not taste one pound of the 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 25 

ship's provision. He was therefore left to the tender mer- 
cies of his fellow-passengers. 

In consequence of this discovery, there was a general 
muster in the afternoon, affording me an opportunity of 
seeing all the emigrants ; and a more motley crowd I never 
beheld; — of all ages, from the infant to the feeble grand- 
sire and withered crone. 

While they were on deck, the hold was searched, but 
without any further discovery, no one having been found 
below but a boy, who was unable to leave his berth, from 
debility. Many of them appeared to me to be quite unfit 
to undergo the hardship of a long voyage ; but they were 
inspected and passed by a doctor, although the captain, as 
he informed me, protested against taking some of them. 
One old man was so infirm, that he seemed to me to be 
in the last stage of consumption. 

The next matter to be accomplished was to regulate the 
allowance of provisions to which each family was entitled. 
One pound of meal or of bread being allowed for each 
adult, — half a pound for each individual under fourteen 
years of age, — and one third of a pound for each child 
under seven years. Thus, although there were 110 souls, 
great and small, they counted as 84 adults. That was, 
therefore, the number of pounds to be issued daily. On 
coming on board, provisions for a week were distributed ; 
but as they wasted them most improvidently, they had to 
be served again to-day. The mate consequently deter- 
mined to give out the day's rations every morning. 

Wednesday, June 2nd. 

We made but little progress during the night, and were 



26 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

still in the channel, within sight of the Mull of Cantire, 
and the northern shore of Ireland. 

Having but a few books with me, I seized upon a greasy 
old volume of sundry magazines, which I found in the 
cabin. I also commenced the study of a book of naviga- 
tion. These, varied with the Book of books, Shakspeare, 
and Maunders Treasuries, kept me free from ennui. 
When tired of reading, I had ample scope for observation. 

The mistress spent the forenoon fishing, and the after- 
noon in curing the mackerel and gurnet she caught. We 
had some at tea, when I met with a deprivation I had 
not anticipated ; — there was no milk ! and I did not at all 
relish my tea without it. One cup was quite enough for 
me ; but I soon became habituated to it. Having rounded 
the long promontory of Donegal, the outline of the shore 
became indistinct ; and making our calculations not to see 
land again for some time, the mate took his " departure " 
from Malin Head. 



CHAPTER II. 

Roll on, thou dark and deep blue ocean, roll ! 



BYRON. 



June 3d. 
When I came on deck this morning, I found that we 
were sailing upon the bosom of the broad Atlantic, no object 
being visible to relieve the vast expanse of water and sky, 
except the glorious sun ; and as I turned my eyes from the 
survey of the distant horizon, and fixed them upon the 
little bark that wafted us, a sensation akin to that of the 
" Ancient Mariner " possessed my mind. 

" Alone, alone, all, all alone, 
Alone on a wide, wide sea." 

As the boy who was unable to attend the muster still 
continued ill, and was reported to be feverish, the mistress 
and I reviewed the medicine chest. We found it to con- 
tain a jar of castor oil, epsom salts, laudanum, hartshorn, 
&c. ; also a book of directions, which were by no means 
explicit, and they so perplexed the mistress, even with the 
aid of her spectacles, that as she w T as nothing the wiser of 
the study, she resolved to trust to her own experience in 
the concoction of a dose. The mate took his first observa- 
tion at noon ; and as he stood peering through the eye-hole 
of the quadrant, he reminded me forcibly of poor old uncle 
Sol's little midshipman. 



28 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



The passengers' fire-places, upon either side of the 
fore-deck, furnished endless scenes, sometimes of noisy 
merriment, at others of quarrels. The fire was contained 
in a large wooden case, lined with bricks and shaped 
something like an old-fashioned settee; the coals being 
confined by two or three iron bars in front. From morn- 
ing till evening they were surrounded by groups of men, 
women and children ; some making " stirabout," in all 
kinds of vessels, and others baking cakes upon extempo- 
rary griddles. These cakes were generally about two 
inches thick, and when baked were encased in a burnt 
crust coated with smoke, being actually raw in the centre. 
Such was the unvaried food of the greater number of these 
poor creatures. A few of them, who seemed to be better 
off, had herrings, or bacon. The meal with which they 
were provided was of very bad quality ; — this they had 
five days; and biscuit, which was good, two days in the 
week. 

Friday, June 4th. 

The sailors and apprentices were (as the mate expressed 
it in his log) variously employed,— mending sails, tarring 
ropes, spinning yarns, &c. Sailors sit and sew very differ- 
ently from tailors ; instead of doubling up their legs under 
them, they stretch them out straight before them as they sit 
upon the deck. Their thimble is also peculiar, not being 
worn on the top of the finger, but upon the ball of the 
thumb, to which it is fastened by a leather strap, buckled 
round the wrist. I was surprised at the expedition and 
neatness with which they sewed, with their coarse needles 
and long threads. 

Jack created some diversion by daubing a " gossoon's " 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 39 



face with tar, and shaving him with a rusty knife. It was 
exhilarating to hear the children's merry laughter; — poor 
little things, they seemed quite reconciled with their situa- 
tion ! I learned that many of these emigrants had never 
seen the sea nor a ship, until they were on board. They 
were chiefly from the county Meath, and sent out at the 
expense of their landlord, without any knowledge of the 
country to which they were going, or means of livelihood, 
except the labor of the father of each family. All they 
knew concerning Canada was, that they were to land in 
Quebec, and to go up the country ; moreover, they had a 
settled conviction that the voyage was to last exactly three 
weeks. In addition to these there were a few who were 
going to try their fortunes on their own account. One of 
the latter was a Connaught " boy," who having lived upon 
the coast and spent his time partly in fishing, made himself 
useful about the brig, and thereby ingratiated himself into 
favor with the captain, and the consequent jealousy of his 
fellow-passengers, who, thinking him rather soft, took 
pleasure in teasing him. Two young men from Kilkenny, 
and one from the county Clare, completed the list. The 
former used to astonish the Meath-men with the triple 
wonders of their native city. 

Saturday, June 5th. 

As the passengers had a great inclination to infringe 
upon the after-deck, the captain drew a line, the penalty 
for crossing which was the stoppage of a day's water. 

I observed the sea to be crowded with myriads of slimy 
looking objects, which the sailors called " slobbs." They 
varied in size, form, and color ; some of them resembling 
a lemon cut in half. How beautiful also was the lumi- 



30 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



nous appearance of the water at night, which I delighted 
to watch, as we glided through the liquid fire. 

Nor was it less pleasing to observe the " Portuguese men 
of war," with their tiny sails set to the breeze, and sur- 
mounting the crests of the rolling billows. I had a rum- 
mage through the charts, and enjoyed a practical lecture 
upon them, with illustrative lectures by the mistress, enliv- 
ened, by way of episode, with occasional contradictions 
by the captain, who with rule and compass traced our 
progress daily upon the great chart of the North Atlantic 
ocean. "We had two ships in company with us all the 
day ; but they were too distant to distinguish their names. 
One of the passengers having thrown the Connaughtman's 
hat overboard, the captain gave him a blue and while 
striped night-cap, with which on his head he strutted about, 
much to the amusement of the youngsters, one of whom 
attached a rope to the tail of his coat; this he dragged after 
him for some time, until Jack changed the scene by cut- 
ting the tail off. When Paddy discovered his loss, he was 
outrageous, and made a grievous complaint to the mate, 
who doctored the coat by abstracting the other tail, thereby 
transforming the garment into a jacket. When the matter 
came to the captain's ears, he presented Paddy with an old 
pilot jacket, which made a great coat for him ; he was 
therefore no loser by the affair. 

Sunday, June 6th. 

The favorable breeze that -carried us out of the channel 
having forsaken us, the little progress we made was gained 
by tacking, which kept the sailors constantly employed. 
The passengers were dressed in their best clothes ; and pre- 
sented a better appearance than I expected. The sailors also 
donned their holiday toggery in the afternoon. 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 31 

A group of young men being at a loss for amusement, 
began to wrestle and play " pitch and toss ; " but the mate 
soon put a stop to their diversions ; at which they grum- 
bled, saying that " they did'nt think that Mr. Mate would 
be so hard." 

Very few of them could read ; neither did they seem to 
have any regard for the sanctity of the Sabbath. In the 
evening they had prayers in the hold ; and were divided 
into two parties, — those who spoke Irish, and those who 
did not ; each section having a leader, who gabbled in 
his respective language a number of " Paters and Aves," 
as quickly as the devotees could count their beads. 

After these religious exercises they came upon deck, 
and spent the remainder of the day jesting, laughing, and 
singing. 

We had a clear and beautiful sunset ; from which the 
captain prognosticated an easterly wind. 



CHAPTER III. 

Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night, nor for the arrow that fiieth 
by day; for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the sickness that 
destroyeth in the noon-day. — psalms of davjd. 

June 7th. 

The passengers elected four men to govern their com- 
monwealth, the principal of whom had the title of " Head 
committee." The other three being inactive, the sole 
authority was wielded by him, much to the terror of the 
little boys, who were often uproarious, and to keep whom 
in order he frequently administered the " cat." 

The other duties of this functionary consisted in seeing 
that the hold was kept clean ; in preventing smoking below, 
settling differences, &c. He was also the medium of com- 
munication with the " other house," he and Paddy alone 
being permitted to go aft. 

Tuesday, June 8th. 

We steered a southward course, but gained very little 
longitude. 

The two ships were again in sight; one was the Tamer- 
lane of Aberistwyth ; the other the Virginius of Liverpool ; 
both fine vessels, with passengers. 

The head committee reported that two women were ill ; 
they were therefore dosed according to the best skill of the 
mistress, who was desirous of going into the hold to see 
them ; but the captain peremptorily desired her upon no 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 33 

account to do so; and kept a sharp lookout, that she 
might not visit them unknown to him. 

The boy, whom nothing ailed but sea-sickness and 
fatigue, had recovered. 1 saw him upon deck, — a miser- 
able looking little animal, with a huge misshapen head, 
sallow, lantern-jaws, and glassy eyes ; — apparently about 
twelve years of age ; but his father said that he was twenty. 
I could scarcely credit him, but was assured of the fact by 
his neighbours, who said that he always had the same 
emaciated appearance, although he never before com- 
plained of illness. He went by the name of " The little 
shoemaker." 

Wednesday, June 9th. 

As we were seated at dinner, in the cabin, discussing a 
savory dish of " Lobscouse " made by the mistress, we 
were alarmed by the shouting of men, and screaming of 
women. 

We hurried on deck, thinking that some one was over- 
board, and judge of our terror, when we saw the fore part 
of the brig in a blaze. All hands having assisted, a plen- 
tiful supply of water in a short time subdued the fire, 
which extended no further than the caboose; it arose from 
the negligence of Simon, who fell asleep, leaving a lighted 
candle stack against the boards. This was the only bril- 
liant act of which he was guilty during the voyage, and as 
a reward for which the mate bestowed upon him a rope's 
end. 

Thursday, June 10th. 

The only incidents of the day were, breakfast, dinner, 
and supper, — the meridional observation, and the tempo- 
rary stir consequent on the captain coming upon deck after 



34 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



a " snooze," and shouting out "'bout ship." Some more 
cases of illness were reported ; and the mistress was kept 
busy mixing medicine, and making drinks ; hoping that by 
early attention the sickness might be prevented from 
spreading. 

Friday, June 1 1th. 

As I was pacing the deck in the afternoon, I observed 
one of the passengers, — a well looking man, with fine 
brown eyes, timidly approach me. After looking about 
him, to assure himself that the captain was below, he 
doffed his hat and addressed me as follows : " I beg your 
honors pardon, but I hope it's no offence." Having told 
him that he had given me none, he proceeded, — " Well 
then master, is'nt it mighty quare intirely, and how can the 
likes of us know the differ ; but I hope your honor it's all 
right ? " I replied that I was not aware of any thing being- 
wrong, and desired him to say what was the danger he 
feared, which caused him to ask ; " Aragh ! why thin are we 
goin back to ould Ireland ? " I demanded his reason for 
such a supposition ; when after scratching his head, and 
casting a glance towards the cabin, looking rather per- 
plexed, he went on, " That little gossoon of mine, your 
honor, — a mighty smart chap he is too, and a great 
scholiar entirely, he tould us, — but faith ! I dunno how to 
believe him, — though he got his larnin at the national 
school, and can cast up figures equal to the agint, and can 
read the whole side of a book without stoppin, — he says 
sir, — that the sun, God bless it, sets in the wist." Here 
he paused and looked earnestly at me, as if for a confir- 
mation of the fact. I therefore said that the boy's knowl- 
edge was pretty accurate. Seeming encouraged, he con- 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 35 

tinued — " Moreover than that, he says that Ameriky, 
where we all are goin to, if the Almighty God spares us, 
(here he crossed himself) glory be to his name ! it's in the 
wist of the world too." He again paused, and looked 
enquiringly. " Well," said I, " he is pretty right there also, 
America is west from Ireland." " Then master, here's 
what we want to come at, you see. If Ameriky is in the 
wist, musn't the sun set in it, — then why is it, your honor, 
that instead of followin it, we're runnin away from it as 
hard as we can lick?" Such was the fact, — a fresh 
northerly breeze compelling us to bear to the south-east. I 
now saw the nature of the problem he wished to have 
solved, and explained the matter as explicitly as I possibly 
could ; but it was some time before he comprehended me. 
At length he seemed to become enlightened on the subject, 
for, giving his thigh a slap of his open palm, he ex- 
claimed, " Och ! by the powers, I see it all now ; it's as 
plain as a pike-staff; and I'm sure I'm obleeged to your 
honor, and so is the gossoon too. — Oh, that divil's clip, — 
Jack ; wait till I ketch him. If I don't murder him it's no 
matter. What do you think your honor, he tould the little 
chap, when he axed him all about it ? * Why,' says he, 
' sure we're goin back again for the mistress' nittin needles, 
that she forgot.' So as he wouldn't tell him, nor none of 
the sailors, I made bould to ax your honor, as the little 
chap was loth to make so free." 

On the conclusion of the dialogue, Jack, — who was 
over our heads, in the shrouds, — burst into a hearty fit of 
laughter. In which I could not but participate, when I 
noticed the comicality of the arch sailor-boy's appearance, 
and the simplicity of my interlocutor, who, hearing the 



36 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



captain's heavy step coming up the ladder, hastily retired, 
vowing vengeance upon Jack. 

Saturday, June 12th. 

T amused myself taking a sketch of the cabin " inte- 
rior." It was about ten feet square, and so low that the 
only part of it in which the captain could stand upright, 
was under the skylight. At either side was a berth ; both 
of which were filled with the mistress' boxes, the captain's 
old clothes, old sails, and sundry other articles, which were 
there stowed away, and concealed from view by chintz 
curtains, trimmed with white cotton fringe. The ceiling 
was garnished with numerous charts rolled up, and con- 
fined by tapes running from beam to beam ; from one of 
which, ~- carefully covered by a cotton handkerchief, — 
was suspended the captain's new hat. A small recess 
above the table contained a couple of wine glasses, one of 
them minus the shank ; also an antique decanter, resting 
upon an old quarto prayer-book, and guarded by a danger- 
ous looking blunderbuss, which was supported by two 
brass hooks, from one of which hung a small bag contain- 
ing the captain's spectacles, rule, pencil, and compass. At 
each side of this recess was a locker : one of them con- 
taining a crock of butter, and another of eggs, besides 
tobacco and soap ; the other held a fine Cheshire cheese, 
a little keg of sprats, and other articles too numerous to 
mention. An unhappy canary, perched within a rusty 
cage, formed a pendant from the centre of the sky-light, 
but a much more pleasing picture decorated one of the 
panels, — a still-life, admirably delineating an enormous 
flitch of bacon, which daily grew — less. A small door led 
into the captain's state-room ; the ceiling of which was 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 37 

tastefully ornamented by several bunches of dipt candles ; 
while the narrow shelves groaned under the weight of, — 
jars of sugar, preserves, bottled porter, spices and the other 
usual necessaries for a long voyage. I was disturbed in 
the progress of my portraiture by the mistress, who came 
down to warm a drink at the stove, for some of the sick 
folks. The two women who first became ill, were said to 
show symptoms of bad fever ; and additional cases of 
illness were reported by the Head committee. The 
patients begged for an increased allowance of water; 
which could not be granted, as the supply was very 
scanty ; two casks having leaked. 

Sunday, June 13th. 
The reports from the hold became very alarming ; and 
the mistress was occupied all day attending the numerous 
calls upon her. She already regretted having come the 
voyage ; but her kind heart did not allow her to consult 
her ease. When she appeared upon deck, she was beset 
by a crowd of poor creatures, each having some request to 
make ; often of a most inconsiderate kind, and few of 
which it was in her power to comply with. The day was 
cold and cheerless ; and I occupied myself reading in the 
cabin. 

Monday, June 14th. 

The Head committee brought a can of water to show 
it to the captain : it was quite foul, muddy, and bitter from 
having been in a wine cask. When allowed to settle it 
became clear, leaving considerable sediment in the bottom 
of the vessel ; but it retained its bad taste. The mate 
endeavoured to improve it by trying the effect of charcoal, 
and of alum ; but some of the casks were beyond remedy, 



33 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

and the contents, when pumped out, resembled nauseous 
ditch water. There were now eight cases of serious ill- 
ness; — six of them being fever and two dysentery; — 
the former appeared to be of a peculiar character, and very 
alarming : the latter disease did not seem to be so violent 
in degree. 

Tuesday, June 15th. 

The reports this morning were very afflicting, and I felt 
much, that I was unable to render any assistance to my 
poor fellow-passengers. The captain desired the mistress 
to give them every thing out of his own stores that she 
considered would be of service to any of them. He felt 
much alarmed ; nor was it to be wondered at that con- 
tagious fever, — which under the most advantageous cir- 
cumstances, and under the watchful eyes of the most skil- 
ful physicians, baffles the highest ability,— should terrify 
one having the charge of so many human beings, likely to 
fall a prey to the unchecked progress of the dreadful dis- 
ease ; for once having shown itself in the unventilated hold 
of a small brig, containing one hundred and ten living 
creatures, how could it possibly be stayed, — 'without suit- 
able medicines, medical skill, or even pure water to slake 
the patient's burning thirst ? 

The prospect before us was indeed an awful one ; and 
there was no hope for us but in the mecry of God. 

Wednesday, June 16th. 

The past night was very rough, and I enjoyed little rest. 

No additional cases of sickness were reported : but there 

were apparent signs of insubordination amongst the healthy 

men, who complained of starvation, and the want of water 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 39 

to make drinks for their sick wives and children. A depu- 
tation came aft to acquaint the captain with their griev- 
ances, but he ordered them away, and would not listen 
lo a word from them. When he went below, the ring- 
leader threatened that they would break into the provision 
store. , 

The mate did not take any notice of the threat, but re- 
peated to me, in their hearing, an anecdote of his own 
experience when a captain ; showing with what determi- 
nation he suppressed an outbreak in his vessel. He con- 
cluded by alluding to cutlasses, and the firearms in the 
cabin. And in order to make a deeper impression on 
their minds, he brought up the old blunderbuss, from which 
he fired a shot, the report of which was equal to that of a 
small cannon. The deputation slunk away, muttering 
complaints. 

If they were resolute, they might easily have seized up- 
on the provisions. In fact, I was surprised how famished 
men could so patiently bear with their own, and their 
starved children's sufferings ; but the captain would wil- 
lingly have listened to them if it were in his power to re- 
lieve their distress. 

Thursday, June 17th. 

Two new cases of fever were announced, and from 
the representation of the mate, — the poor creatures in the 
hold were in a shocking state. The men who suffered 
from dysentery were better ; the mistress's prescription — 
flour porridge with a few drops of laudanum — having 
given them relief. The requests of the friends of the fever 
patients were most preposterous ; — some asking for beef, 
others wine. They were all desirous of laudanum being 



40 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

• 
administered to them in order to procure sleep ; but we 
were afraid to dispense so dangerous a remedy, except 
with extreme caution. Our progress was almost imper- 
ceptible, and the captain began to grow very uneasy, there 
being at the rate of the already miserable allowance of 
food, but provisions for fifty days. It also now became 
necessary to reduce the complement of water, and to urge 
the necessity of using sea water in cookery. 

Friday, June 18th. 
The fire-places were the scenes of endless contentions. 
The sufferings they endured appeared to embitter the 
wretched emigrants one against another. Their quarrels 
were only ended when the fires were extinguished, at 7 
o'clock, p. m. ; at which time they were surrounded by 
squabbling groups, preparing their miserable evening meal. 
They would not leave until Jack mounted the shrouds of 
the fore-mast, and precipitated a bucket full of water on 
each fire ; when they snatched up their pots and pans, and, 
half blinded by the steam, descended into the hold, with 
their half cooked suppers. Although Jack delighted in 
teasing them, they never complained of his pranks, how- 
ever annoying. 



CHAPTER JV. 

I saw the seven angels which stood hefore God ; and to them were given 
seven trumpets 

And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to 
sound 

And the seventh angel sounded 

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it : and death and hell delivered 
up the dead which were in them : and they were judged every man. . . . 

Kevelations. 

June 19th. 
A shark followed us all the day, and the mate said it 
was a certain forerunner of death. The cabin was like an 
apothecary's shop, and the mistress a perfect slave. I en- 
deavoured to render her every assistance in my power. 
The mate also was indefatigable in his exertions to alleviate 
the miserable lot of our helpless human cargo. Not 
having seen the " stowaway " on deck for some time, upon 
inquiring after him, I learned that he was amongst the 
sick, and was very bad ; but he was kindly attended by 
the young man from the county Glare, who devoted him- 
self to attending the afflicted, some of whom the members 
of their own families neglected to take care of. 

Sunday, June 20th. 
Having hinted to the captain the propriety of having 
divine service read upon the Sabbath, he said that it could 
not. be done. Indeed, the sailors seldom had a spare mo- 
ment, and as to the mate, I often wondered how he got 
through so much work. This day, therefore, had no mark 



42 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



to distinguish it from any other. The poor emigrants 
were in their usual squalid attire ; neither did the crew- 
rig themselves out as on former Sundays. 

All were dispirited, and a cloud of melancholy hung 
over us. 

The poor mistress deplored that she could not get an op- 
portunity of reading her Bible. I pitied her from my 
heart ; knowing how much she felt the distress that sur- 
rounded us, and her anxiety to lighten the affliction of the 
passengers. 

Monday, June 21st. 

I was surprised at the large allowance of food served out 
to the sailors. They had each 1 1-2 lbs. of beef, or pork, 
daily, besides coffee, and as much biscuit as they pleased ; 
but it being a temperance vessel, they had no grog, — in 
lieu of which they got lime-juice. However, there was a 
little cask of brandy in a corner of the cabin ; but the cap- 
tain was afraid to broach it, knowing the mate's propensi- 
ty. I noticed the latter often casting a wistful glance at il 
as he rose from dinner ; and he did not fail to tell me that 
it was the best possible preventive against the fever. 

Tuesday, June 22nd. 

One of the sailors was unable for duty, and the mate 
feared he had the fever. 

The reports from the hold were growing even more 
alarming, and some of the patients who were mending, had 
relapsed. One of the women was every moment expected 
to breathe her last, and her friends, — an aunt and cousins, 
— were inconsolable about her; as they persuaded her to 
leave her father and mother, and come with them. The 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



mate said that her feet were swollen to double their natu- 
ral size, and covered with black putrid spots. I spent a 
considerable part of the day watching a shark that followed 
in our wake with great constancy. 

Wednesday, June 23d. 
At breakfast I inquired of the mate after the young wo- 
man who was so ill yesterday, when he told me that she 
was dead ; and when I remarked that I feared her burial 
would cause great consternation, I learned that the sad or- 
deal was over, her remains having been consigned to the 
deep within an hour after she expired. When I went on 
deck I heard the moans of her poor aunt, who continued 
to gaze upon the ocean as if she could mark the spot where 
the waters opened for their prey. The majority of the 
wretched passengers, who were not themselves ill, were 
absorbed in grief for their relatives ; but some of them, it 
astonished me to perceive, had no feeling whatever, either 
for their fellow creatures' woe, or in the contemplation of 
being themselves overtaken by the dreadful disease. There 
was a further addition to the sick list, which now amount- 
ed to twenty. 

Thursday, June 24th. 

Being the festival of St. John, and a Catholic holiday, 
some young men and women got up a dance in the even- 
ing, regardless of the moans and cries of those who were 
tortured by the fiery fever. "When the mate spoke to them 
of the impropriety of such conduct, they desisted and re- 
tired to the bow, where they sat down and spent 'the 
remainder of the evening singing. The monotonous howl- 
ing they kept up was quite in unison with the scene of des- 
olation within, and the dreary expanse of ocean without. 



44 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

Friday, June 25th. 43 deg. 24 min. N. lat., 40 deg. 4 min. W. Ion. 

This morning there was a further accession to the names 
upon the sick roll. It was awful how suddenly some were 
stricken. A little child who was playing with its compan- 
ions, suddenly fell down, and for some time was sunk in a 
death-like torpor, from which, when she awoke, she com- 
menced to scream violently, and writhed in convulsive ag- 
ony. A poor woman who was warming a drink at the 
fire for her husband, also dropped down quite senseless, 
and was borne to her berth. 

I found it very difficult to acquire precise information 
respecting the progressive symptoms of the disease, the dif- 
ferent parties of whom I inquired disagreeing in some par- 
ticulars ; but I inferred that the first symptom was generally 
a reeling in the head, followed by a swelling pain, as if the 
head were going to burst. Next came excruciating pains 
in the bones, and then a swelling of the limbs, commencing 
with the feet, in some cases ascending the body, and again 
descending before it reached the head, stopping at the. throat. 
The period of each stage varied in different patients ; some of 
whom were covered with yellow, watery pimples, and oth- 
ers with red and purple spots, that turned into putrid sores. 

Saturday, June 26th. 44 deg. 21 min. N. Iat., 41 deg. 36 min. W. Ion.- 

Some of those who the other day appeared to bid defi- 
ance to the fever, were seized in its relentless grasp ; and a 
few who were on the recovery, relapsed. It seemed mi- 
raculous to me that such subjects could struggle with so 
violent a disease without any effective aid. 

Sunday, June 27th. 44 deg. 9 min. N. lat., 42 deg. 10 min. W. Ion. 

The moaning and raving of the patients kept me awake 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 45 

nearly all the night ; and I could hear the mistress stirring 
about until a late hour. It made my heart bleed to listen 
to the cries for " Water, for God's sake some water." Oh ! 
it was horrifying ; yet, strange to say, I had no fear of tak- 
ing the fever, which, perhaps, under the merciful provi- 
dence of the Almighty, was a preventive cause. The mate, 
who spent much of his time among the patients, described 
to me some revolting scenes he witnessed in the hold ; but 
they were too disgusting to be repeated. He became very 
much frightened, and often looked quite bewildered. 

Monday, June 28th. 

The number of patients upon the list now amounted to 
thirty, and the effluvium of the hold was shocking. 

The passengers suffered much for want of pure water, 
and the mate tried the quality of all the casks.* Fortunately 
he discovered a few which were better, and this circum- 
stance was rather cheering. 

Tuesday, June 29th. 43 deg. 24 min. N. lat., 46 deg. 37 min. W. Ion. 

The wind kept us to the south, but though occasionally 
becalmed, we were slowly gaining longitude. 

I could not keep my mind fixed upon a book, so I was 
obliged to give over reading, and spent the day watching 
the rolling of the dolphin, the aerial darts of the flying-fish, 
with the gambols of numbers of porpoises that danced in 
the waters around the prow. It being the mate's watch, I 
remained upon deck until midnight, listening to his yarns. 
Some of them were rather incredible, and upon expressing 
such to be my opinion, he was inclined to take offence. 
Being the hero of some of his stories himself, I could not 
doubt the veracity of them, though they were not the least 
marvellous. Although a well informed and intelligent 



46 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

man, he was very superstitious. But it is not uncommon 
for sailors to be so. 

Wednesday, June 30th. 43 deg. 48 min. N. lat., 48 deg. 6 min. W. Ion. 
Passing the main hatch, I got a glimpse of one of the 
most awful sights I ever beheld. A poor female patient 
was lying in one of the upper berths — dying. Her head 
and face were swollen to a most unnatural size ; the latter 
being hideously deformed. I recollected remarking the 
clearness of her complexion when I saw her in health, 
shortly after we sailed. She then w^as a picture of good 
humor and contentment ; now, how sadly altered ! Her 
cheeks retained their ruddy hue, but the rest of her distorted 
countenance was of a leprous whiteness. She had been 
nearly three weeks ill, and suffered exceedingly until the 
swelling set in, commencing in her feet, and creeping up 
her body to her head. Her afflicted husband stood by her 
holding a "blessed candle" in his hand, and awaiting the 
departure of her spirit. Death put a period to her existence 
shortly after I saw her. And as the sun was setting, the 
bereaved husband muttered a prayer over her enshrouded 
corpse, which, as he said " Amen," was lowered into the 
ocean. 

Thursday, July 1st. 44 deg. 36 min. N. lat., 48 deg. 38 min. W. Ion. 

The wind was still unfavorable, but w T e gained a little 
by constantly tacking, and were approaching the banks of 
Newfoundland. Some new cases were announced, mak- 
ing thirty-seven now lying. A convalescent was assisted 
on deck, and seemed revived by the fresh air. He was a 
miserable object. His face being yellow and withered, 
was rendered ghastly by the black streak that encircled his 
sunken eyes 



CHAPTER V. 

About midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country, 
and sounded. — Acts of the Apostles. 

Friday, July 2nd. 

We were enveloped in a dense fog, and had a horn 
sounding constantly. One of the patients, who was repre- 
sented to be dying, sent for the mate, and giving him the 
key of his box, in which there was a small sum of money, 
requested him to take charge of it, and, upon his return to 
Ireland, send it to his (the sick man's) mother. 

The mate promised to do so, but did not consider the 
poor fellow as bad as he himself feared he was. 

Saturday, July 3d. 

Any idea I ever formed of complete horror, was excelled 
by the stern reality of the frightful picture which the past 
night presented. The gloom spread around by the impen- 
etrable fog was heightened by the dismal tone of the fog- 
horn, between each sound of which might be heard the 
cries and ravings of the delirious patients, and occasionally 
the tolling of a bell, warning us of the vicinity of some fish- 
ing-boat, numbers of which were scattered over the banks. 

The mate being unable to make an observation, we 
were obliged to depend upon his " dead reckoning." 

Sunday, July 4th. 
We enjoyed a favorable breeze, and the fog having 



48 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



cleared off at noon, the mate had an observation, by which 
we were in 45° li x N. lat., 51° 40 N W. Ion. No new cases 
of sickness were reported, but some of the patients were 
said to be very bad. 

We spoke a bark and a brig, both homeward bound; 
and differed but little in longitude. There was something 
exciting in listening to the friendly voice from the deep 
toned speaking-trumpet, and in beholding the board 
marked with the longitude. In a few moments the ensigns 
were lowered, and each pursued its course. 

The day was exceedingly cold ; so much so, that the 
captain supposed that we were in the neighbourhood of 
icebergs ; and I hoped to see one of these castellated float- 
ing masses, lifting its pinnacles on high, and glittering in 
the rays of the sun. 

Monday, July 5th. 45 deg. 21 min. N. lat., 53 deg. 52 min. W. Ion. 

The morning was foggy, and we were' near running 
into a French fishing-boat. 

The captain having given orders for sounding, Jack was 
sent to find the reel and line, which he brought up from 
the depths of the lazaretto. This receptacle for all sorts of 
commodities was situated below the cabin ; and it afforded 
me some amusement to see the boy, by the faint light of 
the lantern, groping among beef casks, pork barrels, paint 
and tar pots, spars, and rusty irons. The sails having 
been put aback, so that the brig stood motionless upon the 
bosom of the water, the reel was held by a man at the 
stern, and the line being uncoiled, was drawn outside the 
ropes of the rigging, until it reached the bow. The lead 
was then attached, and carried by a seaman to the point of 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 49 

the bowsprit, where the sailor sat swinging the weight, 
like a pendulum, until, upon the order to heave, he cast it 
forth upon its mission. Bottom having been found at 
thirty-four fathoms, the line was placed upon a pulley and 
drawn up ; when there was found imbedded in the grease 
with which the lead was filled, fine white sand, as laid 
down in the chart. 

The sails were again set to the breeze, and we were 
once more gliding through the water, the momentary com- 
motion soon settling down into the usual inanity. 

Tuesday, July 6th. 45 deg. 37 min. N. lat, 54 deg. 53 min. W. Ion. 7 deg. 

During the past night there was a heavy fall of rain, 
which left the atmosphere clear and cool. 

Two men (brothers) died of dysentery, and I was awak- 
ened by the noise made by the mate, who was searching 
for an old sail to cover the remains with. In about an 
hour after, they were consigned to the deep, a remaining 
brother being the solitary mourner. He continued long to 
gaze upon the ocean, while a tear that dropped from his 
moistened eye told the grief he did not otherwise express. 
I learned in the afternoon that he was suffering from the 
same complaint that carried off his brothers. 

Wednesday, July 7th. 

The phosphorescent appearance of the ocean at night 
was very beautiful. We seemed to be gliding through a 
sea of liquid fire. We passed a great number of fishing- 
boats, chiefly French, from the isles Miquelon and St. 
Pierre. 

They were anchored at regular intervals, for the purpose 
of catching cod-fish, which, allured by the vast numbers of 
worms found upon the bottom, abound upon the banks. 



50 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



The vessels generally are large sloops, arid have a platform 
all round, with an awning over the deck. When a fish is 
taken, it is immediately split and cleaned; then it is thrown 
into the hold ; and when the latter is full, the fishermen 
return home, and land their cargo, to be dried and saved* 

Owing to these processes being sometimes too long 
deferred, the bank fish, though larger, is considered inferior 
to that taken along the coast of Newfoundland. 

Great variety of opinion exists respecting the nature and 
origin of these submarine banks, but none of them appears 
to me so natural as this : — The stream which issues from 
the Gulf of Mexico, commonly called the " Florida gulf 
stream," being checked in its progress by the southern 
coast of Newfoundland, deposits the vast amount of mat- 
ter held in suspension. This by accumulation formed the 
Banks, which are still increasing in extent. The tempera- 
ture of the water upon the Banks is higher than that of 
the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and of the ocean ; and its evap« 
oration causes the fog that almost perpetually prevails. 

The afternoon was clear, with a gentle breeze, which 
formed a ripple on the surface of the water, and gave a 
beautiful appearance to the reflection of the declining sun, 
looking like jets of gas bursting from the deep. 

Thursday, July 8th. 45 deg. 24 min. N. Lit, 57 deg. W. Ion. 
Another of the crew was taken ill, thereby reducing our 
hands when they were most required. The captain had 
a great dread of the coast of Newfoundland, which being 
broken into deep bays, divided from each other by rocky 
capes, is rendered exceedingly perilous; more especially, 
as the powerful currents set towards this inhospitable 
shore. 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 5! 

We kept a lookout for some vessel coming from the 
gulf, in order to learn the bearings of land, but did not 
perceive one during the day. 

Friday, July 9th. 46 deg. N. lat., 58 deg. W. Ion. 
A few convalescents appeared upon deck. The appear- 
ance of the poor creatures was miserable in ihe extreme. 
We now had fifty sick, being nearly one half the whole 
number of passengers. Some entire families being pros- 
trated, were dependent on the charity of their neighbours, 
many of whom were very kind ; but others seemed to be 
possessed of no feeling. Among the former, the Head- 
committee was conspicuous. The brother of the two men 
who died on the sixth instant, followed them to-day. He 
was seized with dismay from the time of their death, which 
no doubt hurried on the malady to its fatal termination. 
The old sails being all used up, his remains were placed 
in two meal-sacks, and a weight being fastened at foot, 
the body was placed upon one of the hatch battens, from 
which, when raised over the bulwark, it fell into the deep, 
and was no more seen. He left two little orphans, one of 
whom, a boy seven years of age, I noticed in the evening, 
wearing his deceased father's coat. Poor little fellow ! he 
seemed quite unconscious of his loss, and proud of the 
accession to his scanty covering. The remainder of the 
man's clothes were sold by auction, by a friend of his who 
promised to take care of the children. There was great 
competition, and the " Cant," as they called it, occasioned 
jibing and jesting, which it was painful to listen to, sur- 
rounded as the actors were, a (some of whom had just risen 
from a bed of sickness) by famine, pestilence and death. 



CHAPTER VI 

The floods are risen, Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice ; the floods 
lifr up their waves. The waves of the sea are mighty and rage horribly : but 
vet the Lord who dwelleth on high is mightier. David. 



July 10th, 46 deg. 36 min. N. lat., 59 deg. 36 min. W. Ion. 

We spoke a wherry which was conveying cattle from 
Nova Scotia to Newfoundland, and learned from the 
steersman the bearings of St. Paul's Island. We shortly 
afterwards passed a large fleet, coming from the gulf, and 
in the afternoon descried Cape North. 

The passengers expressed great delight at seeing land, 
and were under the impression that they were near their 
destination, little knowing the extent of the gulf they had 
to pass, and the great river to ascend. Early in the even- 
ing we saw Isle St. Paul, and indistinctly the point of 
Cape Ray, between which and Cape North is the passage 
into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. St. Paul's Island lies 
about ten miles to the north of the latter cape, in latitude 
47° 14 v north, and longitude 60° IP 17 u west. It is a 
huge rock, dividing at top into three conical peaks. Rising 
boldly from the sea, there is a great depth of water all 
round it, and vessels may pass at either side of it. It has 
been the site of numerous shipwrecks ; many vessels, 
carried out of their reckoning by the currents, having been 
dashed against it when concealed by fog, and instantly 
shattered to atoms. 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 53 

Human bones and other memorials of these disasters are 

trewed around its base. We passed the light of this 

dangerous island, at 10 p. m., entering into the "goodly, 

great gulf, full of islands, passages, and entrances, towards 

what wind soever you please to bend." ^ 

This gulf was first explored by John Cabot, in 1497, 
who called the coast of Labrador Primavista. The Por- 
tuguese afterwards changed the name of that desert region 
to Terra Coterealis ; and the gulf they designated as that 
of the " Two Brothers," in memory of Gaspar and Michael 
Cotereal, the first named of whom not having returned 
from the second expedition he commanded, the latter went 
in search of him ; but neither of them were afterwards 
heard of. 

Jaques Cartier having entered it upon the festival of St. 
Lawrence, gave to the gulf and the river flowing into it 
the name they still retain. 

Sunday, July 11th. 

We had a fair wind, and were going fall sail at 7 knots 
an hour. At noon we passed the Bird Islands, which are 
low ledges of rocks, and swarm with gannets, numbers of 
which were flying about. They were as large as geese, 
and pure white with the exception of the tips of the wings, 
which were jet black. Some of Mother Carey's chickens 
were following in our wake, and it was highly amusing to 
watch the contentions of the little creatures for bits of fat 
thrown to them. 

We had a distant view of the Magdalen Islands, which, 
although lying nearer to Nova Scotia, are considered as 

* Cartier. 



54 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



belonging to Canada; and form a portion of the circuit 
within the district of Gaspe, a court being held at Amherst 
harbor annually, from 1st to 10th of July. The largest of 
the group are Bryon, Deadman's, Amherst, Entry, and 
Wolf islands, which are inhabited by a hardy race of 
fishermen. The huge walrus may at times be seen upon 
their shores. 

Monday, July 12th. 

In the morning we were becalmed, the water being 
smooth as glass, and of a beautifully clear, green hue. 

A breeze sprung up at 12 o'clock, and the captain having 
provided himself and me with lines, we spent the afternoon 
fishing for mackerel, which were so plenty that I caught 
seventy in about two hours, when I had to give over, my 
hands being cut by the line. The captain continued, and 
had a barrel full by evening. They were the finest mack- 
erel I ever saw, and we had some at tea, which we all j 
enjoyed as a delicious treat after six weeks of salt beef and 
biscuit diet. Many of the passengers having noticed 
our success, followed our example, and lines were out from 
every quarter ; all the twine, thread, &c. that could be made 
out, being put into requisition, with padlocks and bolts for 
weights, and wire hooks. Even with such rude gear, they 
caught a great number ; but their recreation was suddenly 
terminated, a young man who was drawing in a fish having 
dropped upon the deck quite senseless, and apparently 
dead. He was carried below and put into his berth, there 
to pass through the successive stages of the fever. 






Tuesday, July 13th. 
We were again becalmed during the forenoon, but a 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 55 

. 

)reeze that soon became a gale arose about one o'clock, p. 
tj., and lasted until evening, being accompanied by thun- 
der and lightning, and followed by a heavy shower of rain. 
The clouds cleared away at sunset, when we were within 
LO or 12 miles of the eastern point of the island of Anticosti, 
.vhich when the captain perceived, he gave the order to 
heer off on the other tack. This island is particularly 
langerous, being surrounded by sunken reefs. It is of 
considerable extent, being 130 miles in length from east to 
west, and 30 miles across its greatest breadth. Its surface 
s low and level, and covered with a pristine forest, through 
which prowls the bear, undisturbed, except when hunted 
by Indians, who periodically resort hither for that purpose. 
The sterility of its soil offering no inducement to the 
white man, it is uninhabited, except by the keepers of the 
ighthouses, to which are attached small establishments 
for the purpose of affording relief to shipwrecked mariners. 
The name Anticosti is probably a corruption of Natiscotee, 
which it is called by the aborigines. Cartier named it 
' L'isle de 1' Assumption. 

Wednesday, July 14th. 

"We had the bold headlands of capes Gaspe and Rosier 
Dn our left, and had entered the majestic river St. Lawrence, 
which here, through a mouth ninety miles in width, after 
a course of upwards of 2,000 miles, disgorges the accu- 
mulated waters of the great lakes, swollen by the acces- 
sion of hundreds of tributaries, (some of them noble rivers,) 
draining an almost boundless region. 

The reports of the sufferings in the hold were heart- 
rending. Simon and Jack were both taken ill. 



56 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



V 



Thursday, July 15 th. 

Last night I was suddenly wakened by the captain, 
shouting " get up ! get up ! and come on deck quickly." 
Somewhat alarmed, I obeyed the summons as speedily as 
possible, and was well recompensed for the start, by the 
magnificence of the glorious scene I beheld. The northern 
portion of the firmament was vividly illuminated with a 
clear though subdued light, while across it shot fiery me- 
teors from different directions ; now rushing against each 
other as if engaged in deadly warfare ; again gliding abou 
in wanton playfulness. 

Disappearing for a while, and leaving behind a faintl 
luminous trail, they would again burst forth upon their 
stage, lighted up by a sudden flash for the igneous perform- 
ers. I watched with delight until the lustrous picture was 
finally enshrouded in darkness, when I returned to bed. 

There was a birth on board this morning, and two or 
three deaths were momentarily expected. The mate's ac- 
count of the state of the hold was harrowing. It required 
the greatest coercion to enforce any thing like cleanliness 
or decency ; and the Head committee had no sinecure of- 
fice. I spent the greater part of the day upon deck, admir- 
ing the numberless jets d'eau of the bottlenosed whales that 
plunged about in the water. The poor mistress was 
greatly grieved about Jack and Simon ; and the captain 
was savage for lack of assistance. 

Friday, July 16th. 

We were tacking about all day, which though tedious I 
enjoyed, as it afforded an opportunity of seeing both shores 
of the noble river. That to the north is indescribably grand ; 
rugged mountains rising precipitously from out the water, 






THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 57 

and indented by sweeping bays, in which are numerous 
islets. Towards evening we were in view of Seven Islands 
bay, lovely though desolate. No human eyes behold this 
region of unbroken solitude, save now and then those which 
can but lightly appreciate its grandeur. I cannot describe 
the effect produced by the mist that sometimes completely 
hides the mountains — rolling up their sides, and re- 
sembling gracefully festooned drapery. 

The sailors who could work were greatly harassed by 
being obliged to tack repeatedly. The mate, especially, 
was one moment down in the hold waiting on some dying 
fellow-creature ; the next, perhaps, stretched across a yard, 
reefing a top-sail. Although lame, he was surprisingly ac- 
tive, and used to astonish the emigrants, one of whom said 
to me, " Och ! your honor, isn't Mister Mate a great bit of 
a man ? " 

Saturday, July 17th. 

The morning was fine, and shortly after breakfast I was 
upon deck admiring the beauty of the pine-clad hills upon 
the southern shore of the river, when the captain came up 
from the cabin, and after looking about gave the word to 
" double reef top-sails and make all snug." Not long 
after, the sky, which had been quite clear, became black, 
and a violent gale arose, lashing the water into tremendous 
waves, which tossed us mercilessly about ; one moment 
borne up by an angry billow ; the next, plunging into a 
deep abyss. The roaring wind was drowned by the tre- 
mendous noise of successive peals of thunder, while the 
forked lightning played about in zig-zag lines, and the rain 
descended in torrents. 

At 5, p. m., the wind abated, and the waves began to 
4 



58 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



subside. About an hour after, the leaden clouds parted, 
and, as if in defiance of the contending elements, the sun 
set in gorgeous splendor. The poor passengers were 
greatly terrified by the storm, and suffered exceedingly. 
They were so buffetted about that the sick could not be 
tended ; and after calm was restored a woman was found 
dead in her berth. 



CHAPTER VII. 

So frequent death, 
Sorrow he more than causes, but confounds ; 
For human sighs, his rival strokes contend. 
And make distress, distraction. young. 

Sunday, July 18th. 

I was enchanted with the extraordinary beauty of the 
scenery I beheld this morning, when I came on deck. — 
The early beams of the sun played upon the placid surface 
of the river, here forty miles wide, the banks on either 
hand being moderately elevated, and covered with firs. 
On the north was Cape des Monts, terminating in a low 
point, on which stood a light-house and diminutive cottage. 
On the south Cape Chat rose to a considerable height ; the 
outline of its summit being broken by sudden gaps, giv- 
ing to it a character that to me was unique. 

An unbroken stillness reigned around, as if nature were 
at rest after the storm of the previous day ; and our brig 
lay almost motionless upon the water. 

I occupied myself again and again noting, so as to im- 
press upon my mind, the peerless beauty I am unable to 
portray, and in reading the Acts of the Apostles. I felt a 
renewed interest in the account of St. Paul's voyages, as I 
could now appreciate by experience the force and accuracy 
of their description. We made no way, and it was with 
difficulty we retained our position against the current. 



G THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

Monday, July 19th. 

Another death and burial. A few who had been ill, 
again appeared on deck, weak, and weary. The want of 
pure water was sensibly felt by the afflicted creatures, and 
we were yet a long way from where the river loses its 
saltness. In the morning there came alongside of us a 
beautiful little schooner, from which we took a pilot on 
board. When he found that we had emigrants, and so 
much sickness, he seemed to be frightened and disap- 
pointed; as he had avoided a large ship, thinking we had 
not passengers. However, he could not nor dare he re- 
treat. The first thing he did was to open his huge trunk, 
and take from it a pamphlet, which proved to be the quar- 
antine regulations ; he handed it to the captain, who spent 
a long time poring over it. When he had read it I got a 
look at it — one side was printed in French, the other in 
English. The rules were very stringent, and the penalties 
for their infringement exceedingly severe; the sole con- 
trol being vested in the head physician, the power given 
to whom was most arbitrary. We feared that we should 
undergo a long detention in quarantine, and learned that 
we could hold no communication whatever with the shore 
until our arrival at Grosse Isle. 

The pilot was a heavy, stupid fellow — a Canadian, 
speaking a horrible patois, and broken English ; he was 
accompanied by his nephew and apprentice, Pierre, a fine 
lad. 

The wind favored us for some hours, and towards even- 
ing we saw Mount Camille upon the southern bank, ris- 
ing above the surrounding hills to a height of 2036 feet. 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. qi 

Tuesday, July 20th. 

Our course lying more to the southern bank of the river, 
I could observe minutely the principal objects upon that 
side. Many charming tributary streams rolled along sweet 
valleys, enfolded in the swelling hills, whose sides were 
clothed with verdure. I would fain explore each of these 
enchanting vales ; but too soon we passed them, and some 
jutting cape would hide from view the little settlements at 
each embouchure. The most considerable of these, was 
that upon Point aux Snellez, near the mouth of the river 
Metis, about 200 miles from Quebec, Here commences 
the Kempt road, which terminates at Cross point on the 
river Restigouche, — a distance of 98 miles. A new road, 
connecting this with Grande Nouvelle on the Bay of Cha- 
leur, completes the communication with Halifax. 

Wednesday, July 21st. 

A thick fog concealed every object from view, at times 
so low as only to hide the hulls of vessels, by whose rig- 
ging we could perceive them tacking like ourselves ; the 
sky being unclouded. A strong wind blew down the river, 
which together with the forcible current kept us back. 
One of the sick sailors reappeared upon deck, but was too 
weak to resume duty ; the other man was still very bad ; 
as were also Simon and Jack. 

Simon got up from his berth in a delirious fit, and ran 
down to the cabin, where his wild appearance nearly 
frightened the life out of the mistress. It was with diffi- 
culty he was laid hold of ; and he resisted violently while 
he was carried back to his hammock, in the forecastle, 
where he was strapped down. 



52 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



Thursday, July 22nd. 

Soon after retiring to my berth last night, I heard a 
grating noise, accompanied by a tremulous motion of the 
brig, and felt alarmed, fearing that we had grounded upon 
some bank ; but my anxiety was relieved, by learning that 
it was caused by the dropping of the anchor, it being 
useless to contend against both wind and current. The 
latter here being strengthened by the vast body of water 
discharged from the river Saguenay. When I came on 
deck this morning, I found that we w T ere anchored off the 
village of Trois Pistolles, with Cape L'Orignal to the east, 
and Basque Isle 'on the west. Being the first Canadian 
village I had seen, I was delighted by the rural aspect of 
the pretty white cottages with red roofs, scattered over the 
sloping bank, each surrounded by a small garden. The 
captain was impatient, and though the pilot said it would 
only tend to harass the sailors, we weighed anchor at 
noon, and after beating about all the day, again came to, 
near the' same spot as before. A child, one of the 
orphans, died and was buried in the evening, no friend 
being by to see the frail body committed to its watery 
grave. The water could not be used by the wretched 
emigrants, and but half a cask of that provided for the 
cabin and crew remained; they were therefore obliged to 
use the saline water of the river. 

Friday, July 23d. 

We remained at anchor all day, a fresh breeze blowing 
down the river. Some of the recovered patients who were 
slowly regaining strength, had relapsed into the most vio- 
lent stages, and three new cases were announced, showing 
exceedingly virulent symptoms. 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 63 

The wind abated at noon, and it was quite calm for 
about an hour. During this period I was upon deck, and 
on looking across the river was greatly astonished at per- 
ceiving something resembling an island, which I had not 
before noticed. It was circular, and quite black. I spent 
some time in conjecturing what it could be ; the captain 
could not tell ; and the pilot was asleep. At length two 
vessels sailing down the river, when they came near this 
object, assumed a similar appearance, from which I imme- 
diately inferred that it was a ship at anchor, transformed 
by mirage. 

As the vessels sailed along, they underwent extraordi- 
nary metamorphoses : — sometimes the bow and stern were 
turned up like those of a Chinese junk ; at others the hulls 
were up in the air and the masts seemingly in the water ; 
the latter being twisted and curved. A cottage upon the 
north bank stood apparently upon the surface of the river, 
and the light-house on Bic island had a duplicate of itself 
perched upon it, the copy being inverted, lantern down 
and base up. The illusions occurred only within certain, 
limits, which were defined by an appearance distinct from 
the surrounding atmosphere. The difference being some- 
thing like that presented by clear water and the empty 
space within a half filled vial. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

These are miracles, which man, 
Cag'd in the bounds of Europe's pigmy plan, 
Can scarcely dream of ; which his eye must see, 
To know how beautiful this world can be. mookb . 

Saturday, July 24th. 

We once more weighed anchor this morning, and beat 
about all the day between Trois Pistolles and the mouth 
of the river Escamin, which discharges itself nearly opposite, 
upon the north shore. We had a large fleet of ships, 
barques, and brigs in company, two of which were trans- 
ports with troops. It was a pleasing sight to see such a 
number of vessels, continually passing each other, and 
each evidently endeavoring to gain upon the rest, every 
tack. 

In the afternoon a brig hoisted her ensign as a signal of 
recognition, and upon the next tack we passed near enough 
to speak ; when the captain turned out to be a particular 
friend of our captain and the mistress. They kept up a 
regular conversation the rest of the day, every time we 
met, which was pretty often ; -each inquiring of the other, 
the number of deaths? — what sickness? — how many 
days out? — from what port? &c. &c. We learned, much 
to our surprise, that she had a greater number of 
deaths than we ; and this news was very consoling to the 
mistress. Towards evening the wind abated, and we were 
in hope that it was about to change. It died away alto- 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 55 

gether, and the vessels that before shot past one another, 
were now almost motionless, and scattered over the surface 
of the river, which here is twenty-five miles wide. At 
sunset we lay at the north side, and could almost reach the 
trees covering the bank. I have seen many a beautiful 
sunset, but all fade before the exquisite beauty of that 
which I witnessed this evening. The glorious luminary 
sunk behind the dark blue hills, upon the summits of 
which seemed to rest the border of heaven's canopy, dyed 
in crimson sheen, softening down to a light orange tint, that 
imperceptibly blended with the azure sky, which was here 
and there hid by fleecy vermilion clouds. Cape L' Orignal 
was clothed in a vesture of purple, of every shade, from 
violet to that of the deepest hue, o'ershadowing the village 
of Trois Pistolles. There was not a ripple upon the water, 
but gentle undulations heaved its bosom, decked in a tissue 
of carmine, ultramarine, and gold. Such vividness and 
variety of colors I never before conceived, or since experi- 
enced. Oh ! thought I, why is not Danby here to fix them 
upon imperishable canvass ? As night came on the pilot 
grew uneasy, there not being good anchorage at that side ; 
however, a slight breeze from the old quarter wafted us 
across, to the very spot where we before lay, and where 
we again dropped anchor in the midst of our consorts. 

Sunday, July 25 th. 

We lay at anchor all day, the wind blowing strongly 
against us. 1 It was exceedingly trying to be detained here 
within a few miles of the tidal influence, having once 
gained which, we would be independent of the wind. The 
poor patients, too, were anxiously looking out for the quar 
4* 



G6 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. . 

antine station, where they hoped to find some alleviation 
to their sufferings. The mistress and mate were uneasy, 
as the cabin water was nearly out, and they feared to let 
the captain know of it. I was obliged to remain below, 
the effluvia from the hold being quite overpowering. I 
could hear the tolling of the village church-bell, and its 
sweet tone induced me to go on deck for a few moments, 
where I was charmed with the appearance of the showily 
dressed Canadians, some standing in groups, talking ; oth- 
ers seated upon benches, while caleshes were momentarily 
arriving with " habitans " from distant settlements, who, 
after tying up their horses under a shed close by the "pres- 
bytere," joined the chatting parties until the bell ceased, 
when all retired within the church. 

Monday, July 26th. 

The wind was not so strong, and the effluvia not quite 
so unpleasant. I was therefore not so much confined to 
the cabin. The captain was desirous of sailing, but the 
pilot would not consent ; and the latter proved to be right, 
as two of the vessels weighed anchor in the morning, and 
after beating about for a couple of hours were obliged to 
come to. A pretty stream, — the mingled waters of the 
Abawisquash and Trois Pistolles rivers, — flows into the 
St. Lawrence, adjacent to the village. Like all the tribu- 
taries upon the southern side, it is of inconsiderable length, 
the hills in which they have their sources lying at no great 
distance from the bank. But many of those which empty 
themselves at the north side, as the Manicouagan, Bustard, 
Belsiamites, Portneuf, &c, are fine rivers, rising in the ele- 
vated ridge that divides Canada from the Hudson's Bay 
territory ; and in their courses through the untrodden for- 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 67 



ests expanding into large lakes. After dinner the mistress 
carried the baby that was born on board, down to the cab- 
in. The captain at first was very angry ; but a smile upon 
the face of the little innocent, softened his heart, and he 
soon caressed it with all the endearments he was in the 
habit of lavishing upon the canary ; when tired of which 
amusement, he opened the locker and took therefrom an 
egg, which he held up to the light and looked through, to 
see if it were good. Not being satisfied on that point, he 
tried another, and then another, until he got one to please 
him. He next got some salt, and opening the infant's lilt'e 
hand, placed it upon the palm, and gently closed the tiny 
fingers upon it. He then performed a similar operation 
upon the other, enclosing a shilling in lieu of salt. The 
egg he handed to the mistress to send to the mother, and 
acquaint her that he wished the child to be called " Ellen," 
after her. 

The mistress, kind to all, was particularly so to the little 
children, about twenty of whom we had aboard. One 
poor infant, whose father and mother (neither of whom 
were twenty years of age) were both ill and unable to take 
care of it, she paid a woman for nursing ; and I could not 
believe it to be the same child when I saw it clean and 
comfortably covered with clothes she made for it. Jack 
came upon deck. Poor fellow! he was sadly altered. Si- 
mon also was reported to be better, but unable to leave his 
hammock. The mate began to complain, and the brandy 
cask, (which had been broached,) supplied his remedy. 

Tuesday, July 27th. 

The wind veered about five o'clock last evening, and the 



58 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

vessels, one by one, sailed away. Our pilot saying that it 
would again change in a short lime, was not inclined to 
weigh anchor, but the captain insisted upon doing so. At 
6 p. iff. we were once more in motion, and in a few min- 
utes were in full sail, going seven knots an hour. Basque 
island was soon left behind, and stemming the dark waters 
discharged by the Saguenay, as day was fading, we 
were before Tadousac, a settlement at the mouth of that 
grand river. The Saguenay ranks second amongst the 
tributaries of the St. Lawrence; indeed, although its course 
is not so long, it is supposed to convey a larger body of 
water than the Ottawa. At its juncture with the St. Law- 
rence it is about a mile wide ; but in some parts it expands 
to three. At a distance of one hundred and forty miles it 
receives the waters of lake St. John, which is the reservoir 
of numerous rivers, some of which are precipitated into it 
by magnificent rapids and falls. This lake, which is about 
one hundred miles in circumference, is remarkable for its 
shallowness, from which cause the navigation of it is fre- 
quently dangerous ; as the least wind produces a ground 
swell and breakers. Its water is said to be tepid, and it 
abounds with a variety of fish, great quantities of which 
are taken at the mouth of the Ouiatchouan river, where 
there is a station, at which they are salted and packed for 
traffic. The climate is very salubrious, and the soil of the 
great valley that borders the lake is susceptible, of the high- 
est culture. A few Indians wander over this fine tract of 
country, which it is the intention of the provincial govern- 
ment to open to French Canadians, whose laws acknowl- 
edging no right of primogeniture, they have overpopulated 
many of the old settlements. The Indians call this fine 






THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 69 

sheet of water, " Piegougamis," signifying " the flat lake." 
First-class ships can ascend the Saguenay to Chicoutimi, 
a distance of sixty-eight miles. There is a small settle- 
ment here, the communication between which and the 
lake, being broken by rapids, can only be overcome by ex- 
perienced " voyageurs" in canoes. At Ha-Ha Bay, eigh= 
teen miles below Chicoutimi, there is a pretty large settle- 
ment, and here the river assumes its grand and romantic 
feature, passing for the remainder of its course between 
almost perpendicular cliffs, from one thousand to fifteen 
hundred feet in height. Its great depth is another charac- 
teristic ; bottom not being found near the mouth with a 
line of three hundred and thirty fathoms ; while the depth 
of the St. Lawrence at the junction is but two hundred and 
forty feet. However, its great rapidity renders it impossi- 
ble accurately to learn its soundings. 



CHAPTER IX. 

But soft ! the tinges of the west decline, 

And night falls dewy o'er these banks of pine. 

Among the reeds in which our idle boat 

Is rock'd to rest, the wind's complaining note 

Dies, like a half breath'd whispering of flutes. 

Along the waves the gleaming porpoise shoots. 

And I can trace him like a wat'ry star, 

Down the steep current, till he fades afar 

Amid the foaming breakers' silvery light, 

Where yon rough rapids sparkle through the night. — moore. 

July 27th. 
Feeling somewhat excited by the sudden acceleration 
of our progress, I determined to remain on deck until the 
turn of the tide would compel us to come to an anchor. 
There was something also most enchanting in being waft- 
ed by both wind and tide, at the rate of ten knots an hour, 
watching the lights upon the different islands, and the 
myriads of bright stars that studded the firmament, and 
were reflected in the darkened surface of the broad river, 
which upon the north side was overshadowed by the 
mountainous banks, while the southern shore might be 
traced by a continuous line of flickering lamps within the 
cottages upon its border. We soon left Green island be- 
hind us; then Hare island and Riviere du Loup, upon 
which is a large settlement with a population of about fif- 
teen hundred. There are some large saw-mills here, and 
a "portage" leading through Madawaska to the lower 
provinces. After passing the Pilgrims, a group of rocky 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 71 

islets, I went below, and had not long " turned in" when I 
heard and felt the dropping of the anchor. 

In the morning I found that we lay off Kamouraska, 
which is charmingly situated in a rich district, at the base 
of a chain of hills that rise behind the village, and stretch 
far beyond it. This lovely spot, being one of the healthiest 
places in Lower Canada, attracts many visitors during the 
summer season. It is also enriched by the fisheries estab- 
lished upon the numerous islands that lie immediately in 
front, supplying abundance of shad, salmon, herrings, &c. 
Directly opposite, upon the other side of the river, is Mur- 
ray Bay, into which flows the Malbaie River, upon whose 
banks reside the descendants of Wolfe's highlanders, many 
of whom settled there, after the campaign. The bay is 
environed by an amphitheatre of majestic hills, cultivated 
to the very summits, their sloping sides being dotted over 
with comfortable abodes. 

We weighed anchor at noon, and gently glided through 
a scene of indescribable loveliness. The noble river here 
unbroken by islands, presented a lake-like expanse, bound- 
ed by the lofty Cap Diable, and Goose Cape. Village 
succeeded village upon the south shore ; and the gigantic 
hills upon the north were adorned by sweet alpine cots, 
surrounded by cleared patches of land, embosomed by 
the dark green pines. The weather was very warm, and 
nature basked in uninterrupted sunshine. Oh ! what a 
contrast to this magic beauty was presented within our 
floating pest-house; not that matters were worse than they 
had been ; there was rather an abatement in the violence 
of the fever, and I perceived some faces, that I with diffi- 
culty recognized, so changed were they since I saw them, 



72 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 






before their illness. Simon and Jack were both on deck, th 
former being deprived of memory, and partially deranged 
in his mind. Poor fellow! having, the previous voyage, 
fallen from the topsail yard, and injured his head, his intel 
lect was thereby impaired, and the fever confirmed the 
insanity, which had not left him when I quitted the brig, 
some three weeks after. Being now in fresh water the 
passengers were relieved of one calamity, and the women 
who were able, were busy washing; two or three men 
were also similarly engaged, their wives being unable ; and 
we endeavoured to impress upon them the fact, that the 
length of our detention in quarantine would greatly depend 
on the cleanliness of their persons, and of the hold. There 
were still some very bad cases, and the poor Head com- 
mittee was in great trouble about his wife, who was dying. 
The mate still kept up, being afraid of going to hospital, 
but it was quite evident that he was very ill indeed. 

We passed two steamers that were going down the 
river to tow up ships. We also had a Scotch brig, the 
" Delta," in company. 

At 6 p. m., the tide being on the ebb, we once more an- 
chored, opposite to the Isle aux Coudres, which lies in 
front of St. Paul's bay. This beautiful island was so 
named by Cartier, who found upon it a profusion of fil- 
berts. A smaller island lies inside of it, whose origin is 
thus accounted for in a manuscript belonging to the Jesuit 
college of Quebec ; which relates the effects of the earth- 
quake felt throughout Canada in 1663 : — " Near St. Paul's 
bay (fifty miles below Quebec, on the north side,) a moun- 
tain about a quarter of a league in circumference, situated 
on the shore of the St. Lawrence, was precipitated into 






THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 73 

the river ; but, as if it had only made a plunge, it rose from 
the bottom and became a small island, forming with the 
shore a convenient harbour, well sheltered from all winds." 
The same authority says, " Lower down the river, towards 
Point Alouettes, an entire forest of considerable extent 
was loosened from the main bank, and slid into the river 
St. Lawrence, where the trees took fresh root." 

The rivers Du Gouffre and Des Marees empty them- 
selves into St. Paul's bay, flowing through luxuriant val- 
leys, intervening between the detached mountains. 

Delightfully located upon an eminence, on the south 
bank, stands the village of St. Anne, at the head of a bay 
of the same name, into which flows the river Quelle. It 
is large, and has a Catholic College, and some handsome 
churches. 

The surrounding country is highly cultivated, presenting 
every feature of softness and beauty that can adorn a land- 
scape. 

The evening was a charming one, — clear and still, — the 
water smooth as a mirror, in which gleamed the reflection 
of the tin covered roofs and spires, that glittered in the rays 
of the setting sun ; while occasionally a huge snow-white 
porpoise rose above the surface, plunging again beneath the 
water, which closing, formed circles, becoming larger and 
larger, until the unwieldy creature again appeared and 
formed them anew. I remained on deck long after all 
had retired to rest, and watched the gray twilight creeping 
over day, until it was illumined by the pale moon, which 
soon smiled upon one of earth's most beauteous pictures. 

I retired to my berth, and took a short repose ; which 
was broken shortly after midnight by the weighing of the 



74 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



anchor. As I wished not to lose the sight of the least 
part of the river (which I loved to look upon by night as 
well as by day), I hurried on deck. 

We passed through the Traverse — an intricate channel, 
marked by floating lights — and by the Pillars, a group of 
dangerous rocks on one of which is a revolving light. At 
day-break we were passing Goose island, which at low 
water is connected with Crane island, on the northern 
extremity of which is the handsome residence' of the sei- 
gneur. The southern bank presented the same charm- 
ing features, and in the distance I discerned the chain of 
hills claimed by the United States as the boundary of the 
State of Maine. In a short time we arrived before the 
village of St. Thomas, picturesquely situated on the banks 
of Riviere du Sud, in which were anchored some vessels 
which were being freighted with lumber from the several 
saw-mills. The soil in this neighbourhood is exceedingly 
productive, and is well cultivated ; on which account it is 
called the granary of the lower province. The village is 
of considerable extent, and is composed of white houses, 
clustering around a pretty church. A few miles further 
sail brought us among a number of beautiful islets — so 
beautiful that they seemed like a fairy scene ; their verdant 
turf was almost level with the blue water that w T ound 
amongst them, submerging not a few, so that the first that 
grew upon them appeared to rise from the river. A vast 
fleet of vessels lying at anchor told that we had arrived at 
Grosse Isle ; and after wending our way amongst isles 
and ships, we dropped anchor in the ground allotted for 
vessels upon arrival, and hoisted our ensign at the peak, 
as a signal for the inspecting physician to board us. 



CHAPTER X. 

And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me ; and, lo, a roll of a 
book was therein ; 

And he spread it before me ; and it was written within and without ; and 
there was written therein, lamentations, and mourning, and woe. — Ezekiel. 

Grosse Isle, July 28th. 

By 6. a. m., we were settled in our new position before 
the quarantine station. The passengers that were able to 
be up were all busy, cleaning and washing, some clearing 
the hold of filth, others assisting the sailors in swabbing 
the deck. The mistress herself washed out the cabin last 
evening, and put every thing in order. 

The captain commenced shaving himself at 7, and 
completed the operation in about an hour and a half. The 
mate was unable to do anything, but kept repeatedly calling 
to the mistress for brandy, and requested that his illness 
should be kept from the doctor, as he was sure he had not 
fever. Breakfast was speedily despatched, and anxiety was 
depicted on every countenance. At 9 o'clock a boat was 
perceived pulling towards us, with four oars and a steers- 
man with a broad leafed straw hat and leather coat, who 
the pilot told us was the inspecting physician. In a few 
minutes the boat was alongside, and the doctor on deck. 
He hastily enquired for the captain, and before he could be 
answered was down in the cabin where the mistress was 
finishing her toilet. Having introduced himself, he en- 
quired if we had sickness aboard? — Its nature? — How 



7G THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

many deaths ? — How many patients at present? These 
questions being answered, and the replies noted upon his 
tablet, he snatched up his hat, — ran up the ladder, — along 
the deck, — and down into the hold. Arrived there, " ha ! " 
said he, sagaciously, u there is fever here." He stopped 
beside the first berth in which a patient was lying, — felt 
his pulse, — examined his tongue, — and ran up the ladder 
again. As he passed by me he handed me some papers 
to be filled up by the captain, and to have ready " to- 
morrow or next day." In an instant he was in his boat, 
from which, while the men were taking up their oars, he 
shouted out to me that I was not obliged to remain in 
quarantine, and might go up to Quebec when I pleased. 
I brought the papers to the captain, who remained in the 
cabin, supposing that the doctor would return thither, in 
order to give directions for our guidance ; and when he 
learned that that gentleman had gone, he was desperately 
enraged. The mistress endeavored to pacify him by sug- 
gesting that it was likely he would visit us again in the course 
of the day, or at least that he would send a message to us. 
When I acquainted the mistress that I was at liberty to leave 
the brig, she looked at me most pitifully, as if she would say, 
" Are you too going to desert us." But I had no such in- 
tention, and was determined to remain with them, at all 
events until they reached Quebec. The poor passengers 
expecting that they would be all reviewed, were dressed in 
their best clothes, and were clean, though haggard and 
weak. They were greatly disappointed in their expecta- 
tions, as they were under the impression that the sick would 
be immediately admitted to the hospital, a*nd the healthy 
landed upon the island, there to remain until taken to 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 77 

Quebec by a steamer. Indeed, such was the procedure to 
be inferred from the book of directions given to the captain 
by the pilot, when he came aboard. 

When the mistress appeared on deck, I scarcely knew 
her. She usually wore a black stuff gown, a red worsted 
" bosom friend," which she told me (at least once a day,) 
was knit for her by her neice; — with a cap having three 
tail borders, which projected beyond the leaf of the little 
straw bonnet, covered with the accumulated stains and 
smoke of many a voyage. Now, she had on a new fancy 
striped calico dress, as showy as deep reds, yellows, blues 
and greens could make it, — a black satin bonnet, with no 
lack of red ribands, and a little conservatory of artificials 
around her good natured face, — not forgetting her silver 
spectacles. All day long we kept looking out for a mes- 
sage from shore, and in watching the doctor's boat, going 
from vessel to vessel; his visit to each occupying about 
I the same time as to us, which was exactly five minutes. 
We sometimes fancied that he was making for us, but the 
boat the next moment would be concealed by some large 
ship; then we were sure we would be the next; but no, 
the rowers pulled for shore. The day wore away before 
I we gave up hope. 

I could not believe it possible, that here within reach of 
help we should be left as neglected as when upon the 
ocean ; — that after a voyage of two months' duration, we 
were to be left still enveloped by reeking pestilence, the 
sick without medicine, medical skill, nourishment, or so 
much as a drop of pure water ; for the river although not 
saline here, was polluted by the most disgusting objects, 
thrown overboard from the several vessels. In short, 



78 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



it was a floating mass of filthy straw, the refuse of foul 
beds, barrels containing the vilest matter, old rags, and tat- 
tered clothes, &c, &c. The Head committee Avas greatly 
grieved for his wife, whose death he momentarily expect- 
ed. He had looked anxiously forward to the time when 
we should arrive here, hoping that at least the doctor 
would see her ; but his hopes, as well as those of others, 
were suddenly blasted. The brig that arrived with us 
sailed for Quebec immediately after the doctor's visit, pos- 
sibly not having had any sickness : five other vessels also 
were discharged. How long they were detained, we could 
not tell; but the captain was so provoked, that he vowed 
he would sail without permission. The pilot, who did not 
well understand his hasty disposition, ventured to remon- 
strate with him, and fell in for a hurricane of curses and 
abuse ; to which, though ignorant of many of the expres- 
sions, he replied in French, not finding himself sufficiently 
eloquent in the English tongue. 

Four vessels arrived with the evening tide, and hoisted 
their signals, but were not visited. Several sailed by us 
without stopping, not having passengers, and a vast num- 
ber went down the river during the day. Two huge 
steamers also arrived, and in the afternoon brought off 
hundreds of human beings from the island. 

Thursday, July 29th. 

This morning a boat was perceived making towards us, 
which at first was thought to be the doctor's ; but when it 
approached nearer there appeared but two persons in it, 
both of whom were rowing. In a few minutes more the 
boat was alongside, and from the cassocks and bands of 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



79 



the two gentlemen we learned that they were Canadian 
priests. They came on deck, each carrying a large black 
bag. They inquired for the captain, who received them 
courteously, and introduced them to the mistress and to 
me, after which they conversed awhile in French with the 
pilot, whom they knew; when, having put on their vest- 
ments, they descended into the hold. They there spent a 
few minutes with each of the sick, and administered the 
last rites to the dying woman and an old man, terminating 
their duties by baptizing the infant. They remained in 
the hold for about an hour, and when they returned com- 
plimented the captain on the cleanliness of the vessel. 
They staid a short time talking to us upon deck, and the 
account they gave of the horrid condition of many of the 
ships in quarantine was frightful. In the holds of some of 
them they said, that they were up to their ancles in filth. 
The wretched emigrants crowded together like cattle, and 
corpses remaining long unburied, the sailors being ill, and 
the passengers unwilling to touch them. They also told 
us of the vast numbers of sick in the hospitals, and in tents? 
upon the island, and that many nuns, clergymen and doc- 
tors, were lying in typhus fever, taken from the patients. 
' They were exceedingly intelligent and gentlemanly men, 
and telling us that we had great cause of thankfulness in 
having escaped much better than so many others, they 
politely bowed, and got into their little boat, amid the 
blessings of the passengers, who watched them until they 
arrived beside a distant ship. 

The Head committee expressed himself satisfied that 
his wife saw a priest before her death, which occurred 
about an hour after; and as the pilot said that the remains 



gO THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

should not be thrown into the river, there being a burial 
ground upon the island, the corpse lay in the hold until 
the next day. 

The mate continued to grow worse, and the mistress 
was unceasing in her attention to him. The day was ex- 
ceedingly hot and sultry, and I could not have remained 
on deck, but the captain spread an awning over it, which 
kept the cabin cool. We lay at some distance from the 
island, the distant view of which was exceedingly beautiful. 
At the far end were rows of white tents and marquees, 
resembling the encampment of an army ; somewhat nearer 
was the little fort, and residence of the superintendent 
physician, and nearer still the chapel, seaman's hospital, 
and little village, with its wharf and a few sail boats ; the 
most adjacent extremity being rugged rocks, among 
which grew beautiful fir trees. At high water this portion 
was detached from the main island, and formed a most 
picturesque islet. But this scene of natural beauty was 
sadly deformed by the dismal display of human suffer- 
ing that it presented; — helpless creatures being carried by 
sailors over the rocks, on their way to the hospital, — boats 
arriving with patients, some of whom died in their trans- 
mission from their ships. Another and still more awful 
sight, was a continuous line of boats, each carrying its 
freight of dead to the burial-ground, and forming an endless 
funeral procession. Some had several corpses, so tied up 
in canvass that the stiff, sharp outline of death was easily 
traceable ; others had rude coffins, constructed by the sail- 
ors, from the boards of their berths, or I should rather say, 
cribs. In a few, a solitary mourner attended the remains ; 
but the majority contained no living beings save the rowers. 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. SI 

I could not remove my eyes until boat after boat was hid 
by the projecting point of the island, round which they 
steered their gloomy way. From one ship, a boat pro- 
ceeded four times during the day ; each time laden with a 
cargo of dead. I ventured to count the number of boats 
that passed, but had to give up the sickening task. 

The inspecting doctor went about from vessel to vessel, 
six of which came in each tide, and as many sailed. 

"We expected him to visit us every moment ; but he did 
not come near us. 

In the afternoon a boat made for our brig, and the mis- 
tress, who was on deck, was greatly delighted to find that 
it contained two " captains," one of whom was her nephew. 
One arrived the day before we came ; the other a day pre- 
vious. They were as ignorant of the course of proceeding 
as we ; and before they went away it was agreed on, that 
they, our captain, and I, should wait on the superintendent 
physician the next day. 



CHAPTER XI. 

As from the wing no scar the sky retains, 

The parted wave no farrow from the keel, 

So dies in human hearts the thought of death. 

E'en with the tears which nature shed 

O'er those we love, we drop it in their graves. Young. 

Friday, July 30th. 

This morning, when I came on deck, a sailor was busily 
employed constructing a coffin for the remains of the 
Head committee's wife; and it was afflicting to hear 
the husband's groans and sobs accompanying each sound 
of the saw and hammer, while with his motherless infant 
in his arms he looked on. About an hour after, the boat 
was lowered, and the bereaved husband, with four rowers, 
proceeded to the burial ground to inter the corpse ; and 
they were followed by many a tearful eye, until the boat 
disappeared behind the rocky point. 

At 10, a. m., we descried the doctor making for us, his 
boatmen pulling lustily through the heavy sea ; a few min- 
utes brought him alongside and on board, when he ran 
down to the cabin and demanded if the papers were filled 
up with a return of the number of deaths at sea ? how 
many cases of sickness? &c. He was handed them by 
the captain; when he enquired,'— how many patients we 
then had ; he was told there were twelve ; when he wrote 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



83 



an order to admit six to hospital ; saying that the rest should 
be admitted when there was room; there being 2500 at 
that time upon the island, and hundreds lying in the va- 
rious vessels before it. The order written, he returned to 
his boat, and then boarded a ship lying close to us, which 
lowered her signal when he approached. Several other 
vessels that arrived in the morning, had their ensigns flying 
at the peak, until each was visited in turn. 

Immediately after the doctor left us, the captain gave 
orders to have the patients in readiness. Shortly after, 
our second boat was launched, and four of the passen- 
gers volunteered to row; the sailors that were able to 
work, being with the other. O God ! may I never again 
witness such a scene as that which followed; — the hus- 
band, — the only support of an emaciated wife and helpless 
family, — torn away forcibly from them, in a strange land ; 
the mother dragged from her orphan children, that clung to 
her until she was lifted over the bulwarks, rending the air 
with their shrieks ; children snatched from their bereaved 
parents, who were perhaps e^er to remain ignorant of their 
recovery, or death. The screams pierced my brain ; and 
the excessive agony so rent my heart, that I was obliged to 
retire to the cabin, where the mistress sat weeping bitterly^. 

The captain went in the boat, and returned in about an 
hour: giving us a frightful account of what he witnessed 
upon the island. 

The steamers relumed, and all the afternoon were en- 
gaged, taking the healthy passengers out of some of the 
vessels ; they went alongside several until their cargo was 
complete, when they sailed for Montreal, their decks thickly 
crowded with human beings ; and most extraordinary to 



84 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



relate, each of them had a fiddler, and a dancing party in 
the prow. 

Early in the evening the captain's nephew came to take 
us in his boat, on shore. After a long pull through a heavy 
swell, we landed upon the Isle of Pestilence ; and climbing 
over the rocks passed through the little town, and by the 
hospitals, behind which were piles upon piles of unsightly 
coffins. A little further on, at the edge of a beautiful sandy 
beach, were several tents, into one of which I looked, but 
had no desire to see the interior of any others. We pur- 
sued our way, by a road cut through a romantic grove of 
firs, birch, beech, and ash, beneath the shade of which grew 
and blossomed charming wild flowers, while the most cu- 
rious fungi vegetated upon odd, decayed stumps. The path 
led us into a cleared lawn, passing through which, we arriv- 
ed in front of the superintendent physician's cottage, placed 
upon a sloping bank at the river's side, on which were 
mounted two pieces of ordnance guarded by a sentinel. 
The view from this spot was exquisitely beautiful ; — upon 
the distant bank of the broad river were the smiling, happy- 
looking Canadian villages, backed by deep, blue hills, while 
the agitated water in front tossed the noble vessels that lay 
at anchor, and which were being swung round by the turn- 
ing tide. 

The doctor not being within, we walked about until his 
return ; when he invited us into his cottage and heard what 
the captains had to say ; after which he promised to dis- 
charge our friend the next day, and that he would send a 
steamer to take our passengers. He also gave the captain 
an order for the admission of the mate to the seaman's hos- 
pital. Our mission having been so successful, we thanked 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 55 

the doctor and departed. Upon our return we called at 
the store licensed to sell provisions upon the island. It 
was well stocked with various commodities, among which 
were carrion beef, and cattish mutton, bread, flour, cheese, 
&c. Although the captain wished to treat the mistress to 
fresh meat, he declined purchasing what we saw, and 
merely bought some flour. The storekeeper did not lack 
better customers, however, for there was a vast concourse 
of mates, stewards, seamen, and boys, buying his different 
articles, and stowing them away in their boats. The de- 
mand for bread was very great ; and several batches were 
yielded from a large oven, while we remained. 

Hearing the music of a fiddle accompanied by the stamp- 
ing of feet in time with the tune, I walked up to the shed 
from which it issued. There were two men dancing a 
jig; one of them a Canadian, the other a sailor, — both 
fine fellows, who were evidently pitted against each other, 
in a trial of skill. The former wore huge boots coming 
above the knees, and drawn over his gray trowsers com - 
posed of "etoffe du pays," — alight blue flannel shirt 
confined at the waist by a scarlet scarf, whose parti colored 
ends hung at one side. On his head was a woollen " bon- 
net rouge," whose tassel jumped about with the wearer's 
movements. His brilliant black eyes lighted up his sallow 
visage, and his arms were as busily engaged as his legs. 
The sailor was rigged out in pumps, white trowsers, blue 
jacket, and straw hat with streaming black ribands ; his 
ruddy face glowing with the exercise. The fiddler's cos- 
tume was similar to that of his brother Canadian, except 
that his "bonnet" was blue ; he stood upon a barrel ; and 
around the dancers was a circle of " habitans " and sailors, 
who encouraged them by repeated "bravos." I did not 



8G THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

remain long, nor could I enjoy the amusement in such a 
place; and therefore joined my companions in the boat; 
where we were detained a few moments, while one of the 
men returned for lime, which the captain had forgotten to 
procure. He soon returned, and again ploughing through 
the waves, we shortly arrived beneath the " Leander ;" after 
examining which noble ship, the captain and I returned to 
the brig, and acquainted the mistress with the issue of our 
adventure. 

Our boat returned, just at the same time; the men hav- 
ing been away all the day. It appeared that they could 
not find the burial ground, and consequently dug a grave 
upon an island, when as they were depositing the remains 
they were discovered, and obliged to decamp. They were 
returning to the brig, when they perceived several boats 
proceeding in another direction, and having joined them, 
were conducted to the right place. The wretched husband 
was a very picture of desperation and misery, that in- 
creased the ugliness of his countenance; — for he was 
sadly disfigured by the marks of small pox, and was blind 
of an eye. He walked moodily along the deck, snatched 
his child from a woman's arms, and went down into the 
hold without speaking a word. Shortly after, one of the 
sailors who was with the boat told me, that after the grave 
was filled up, he took the shovels and placing them cross- 
wise upon it, calling heaven to witness said, " By that 
cross, Mary, I swear to revenge your death ; as soon as I 
earn the price of my passage home, I'll go back, and shoot 
the man that murdered you, and that's the landlord." 

Saturday, July 31st. 
It was with great reluctance the mate consented to go to 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 87 

hospital, and as he went into the boat he charged the cap- 
tain, the mistress, and me with cruelty. The captain went 
with him, and gave him in charge of a doctor. 

In consequence of the superintendent's promise to send 
a steamer to take our passengers, and to give us clean bills 
if the vessel were well whitewashed between decks, the 
passengers' births were all knocked away, and the filthy 
boards thrown into the river ; after which four men worked 
away cleaning and whitening all the day; but no steamer 
arrived that day. One which lay over night, took 250 
passengers from the captain's nephew, who sailed not 
long after. Vessels were arriving with every tide ; two 
ships from Bremen came in the morning and were dis- 
charged at once, having no sickness ; some others sailed 
up with the evening tide, after which there were more 
than thirty in quarantine. Boats were plying all daylong, 
between the several vessels and the island ; and the sea 
being high the miserable patients were drenched by the 
spray ; after which they had to clamber over the slimy 
rocks, or were carried by sailors. There was also an 
almost unbroken line of boats carrying the dead for inter- 
ment ; then there was the doctor's boat unceasingly shoot- 
ing about; besides several others containing captains of 
ships, many of whom had handsome gigs with six oars, 
and uniformly -dressed rowers. It was indeed a busy 
scene of life and death. To complete the picture, the 
rigging of the vessels was covered over with the passen- 
gers' linen, hanging out to dry ; by the character of which 
as they fluttered in the breeze, I could tell with accuracy 
from what country they came ; alas ! the wretched rags of 
the majority told but too plainly that they were Irish. 



CHAPTER XII. 

O the tender ties, 
Close twisted with the fibres of the heart, 
Which broken break them, and drain off the soul 
Of human joy ; and make it pain to live. Young. 

Sunday, August 1st. 

The passengers passed a miserable night, huddled up, as 
they were without room to stretch their weary limbs. I 
pitied them from my soul, and it was sickening to see 
them drink the filthy water. I could not refuse to give one 
or two of them a mouthful from the cask upon the quarter 
deck, which fortunately was filled lower down the river. 
They asked for it so pitifully, and were so thankful ; but I 
could not satisfy all and regretted the disappointment of 
many. 

They had on their best clothes, and were all clean, with 
the exception of one incorrigible family. The doctor came 
on board in the forenoon, to inspect the passengers, who 
were all called on deck, but those who were unable. Plac- 
ing himself at a barrier, he allowed each to pass, one by 
one; making those he suspected of being feverish, show 
their tongues. This proceeding lasted about a quarter of 
an hour; when the doctor went into the hold to examine 
those below, and to see if it were clean ; he then wrote out 
the order to admit the six patients to hospital, and promised 
to send the steamer to take the remainder ; after which we 
should have clean bills. When he had gone, the patients 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 89 

were lowered into the boat amid a renewal of the inde- 
scribable woe that followed the previous separations. Two 
of them were orphan sisters, who were sent for by a brother 
in Upper Canada. Another was a mother, who had tended 
all her family through illness, — now careworn, and heart- 
broken, she became herself a prey. 

In the early part of the voyage, I observed the unfilial 
conduct of a boy, who frequently abused, and even cursed 
his mother, following the example set by his wretched 
father. On one occasion, his hand was raised to strike her, 
when his arm was arrested by a bystander; but the poor wo- 
man begged of the man not to punish him, and wept for the 
depravity of her son. It was she who was now being car- 
ried to the boat ; while the boy who cursed and would 
have stricken her, clung to her, crying, and imploring her 
blessing and forgiveness ; but she was unable to utter a 
word, and by an effort raised her arm feebly and looked 
sadly upon the afflicted boy, who seized her hand and 
bathed it with his tears, until he was torn away, and she 
dropped into the boat, which a moment after rowed off. 
I felt much for the poor fellow, who was conscious that he 
should never again see his mother ; for there was no hope 
of her recovery ; and I little thought that any one could be 
so heartless as to aggravate his sufferings, as did two or 
three women who surrounded him, one of them saying, 
"Ha! you villain, there's the mother you abused, and 
cursed, you rascal ! you may now take your last look at 
her." He followed the boat with his eyes, until it reached 
the shore ; when he beheld the inanimate figure borne to 
the hospital. It was evident from the poignancy of his 

sorrow, that his heart was not depraved, but that his mis- 

5 # 



90 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



conduct arose from education. The morning was fine, 
clear and warm, and many of the vessels were decorated 
with their flags, giving a cheerful aspect to the scene, 
which alas, was marred by the ensigns of two ships (one 
on either side of us), which were hoisted half-mast high, 
the captain of one f and the chief mate of the other, being 
dead. While the captain was away with the boat the 
steamer came alongside of us to take our passengers. It 
did not take very long to transship them, as few of them 
had any luggage. Many of them were sadly disappointed 
when they learned that they were to be carried on to Mon- 
treal, as those who had left their relatives upon Grosse Isle, 
hoped, that as Quebec was not far distant, they would be 
enabled by some means to hear of them, by staying there. 
Each of them shook hands with the mistress, and all 
heaped blessings upon her head ; and as to the captain, 
one of them remarked that " though he was a divil, he was 
a gintleman." 

The steamer pushed off, amid the cheers of her motley 
freight, and was soon out of sight. The mistress was 
quite overcome by the expressions of the poor creatures' 
gratitude for her unceasing, and otherwise unrequited 
attention, and benevolence. The captain returned, and 
after dinner he and I went ashore for our clean bills of 
health. We saw Dr. Douglass, who informed us that the 
inspecting physician, Dr. Jaques, had them, and that he 
was going his rounds among the vessels; with the inten- 
tion of calling at the brig. But as we considered that it 
would probably be late before he would reach her, we 
pulled for a barque, beside which we descried the well 
known boat. Before we were half way, it was gone and 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 91 

making for a ship some distance off; however, we still 
followed, and again were disappointed. We determined 
not to give up the chase, and at length caught the doctor 
on board a German emigrant vessel. He was inspecting 
the passengers, of whom there were 500, — all of them 
(without a single exception,) comfortably and neatly clad, 
clean, and happy. There was no sickness amongst them, 
and each comely fair haired girl laughed as she passed th^g 
doctor, to join the group of robust young men who had 
undergone the ordeal. 

Although it was pleasing to see so many joyous beings, 
it made me sad when I thought of the very, very differ- 
ent state of my unfortunate compatriots ; and I had be- 
come so habituated to misery, disease, and death, that the* 
happiness that now surrounded me was quite discordant 
with my feelings. The doctor having completed his task, 
countersigned our clean bills, and handed them to the cap- 
tain ; we therefore thanked him and took our leave. Before 
returning to the brig, we called to see the mate, who was 
lying with his clothes on, upon a bed; the next one to 
which contained a figure writhing in torture, and, as the 
face was turned towards me, I recognized to my great 
surprise and dismay, the sailor, who, but the evening but 
one before, was dancing with the Canadian. When 
the mate perceived us, he rose from the bed, and taking 
the captain by one arm, and me by the other, walked us 
both out of the hospital, to the porch ; saying that we had 
no business there, as there was fever upon all sides of us. 
The hospital was a large chapel, transformed to its present 
use, and was exceedingly clean and well ventilated, the 
large windows were all open, causing a draught of air that 
was agreeable ; the evening being very sultry. 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



We did not remain long with the mate, who raved con- 
siderably in his conversation, though he said he was quite 
well; so, the captain giving him in charge of the attendant, 
with pressing injunctions to have every attention paid to 
him, and saying that he hoped he would be able to join 
the brig upon his return, we departed. As we got into the 
boat, we made a signal to the pilot (who was desired to be 
on the lookout,) to weigh anchor, so as not to lose the tide 
by any unnecessary delay. As we repassed the C4erman 
ship, the deck was covered with emigrants, who were sing- 
ing a charming hymn, in whose beautiful harmony all took 
part ; spreading the music of their five hundred voices upon 
the calm, still air, that wafted it around. The vessel being 
discharged, began to move almost imperceptibly, so that 
we quickly passed her; but she gradually gained speed, 
and was ahead of us by the time we reached the brig, and 
as the distance between us increased, the anthem died 
away, until it became inaudible. It was the finest chorus 
I ever heard, — performed in a theatre of unrivalled mag- 
nificence. 

The mistress was delighted when she learned that we 
were free, and all were glad to leave behind the Isle of 
Death, though we regretted leaving the mate there. The 
sailors that had been ill, still continuing very weak, the 
captain induced two young men to remain, in order to as- 
sist in working the vessel. At 7 p. m. the anchor was 
weighed, the sails unreefed, and we glided slowly along. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Sail on, sail on, thou fearless bark, 

Wherever blows the welcome wind ; 
It cannot lead to scenes more dark, 

More sad, than those we leave behind. Moore. 

Monday, August 2d. 

It was indeed with gratefulness to the Almighty for hav- 
ing preserved me scathless in the midst of the dread 
pestilence, that I left Grosse Isle; and a more beautiful 
panorama I never beheld, than the country through which 
we passed, — the churches of St. Thomas' and St. Pierre's, 
surrounded by handsome cottages and beautiful fields; 
on our right Isle Madame, the largest of the numerous 
islands that clustered in the centre of the river, embo- 
somed in the mighty stream, beyond which rose Cap 
Tourment, with the village of St. Joachim at its base. 
And Mount St. Anne, sheltering its village also; both of 
these lofty hills being of a deep purple hue. At sunset we 
had reached the eastern extremity of the Isle of Orleans ; . 
and an hour after, dropped anchor before St. Francois, — 
a sweet village composed of quaint looking cottages, whose 
walls were as white as snow ; with red roofs, bright yellow 
doors, and green Venetian window blinds. Such was the 
universal style, all of them appearing as if they had been 
new'y painted. 

We again set sail, soon after day-break this morning, 
with a breeze against us, which compelled us to tack about. 



94 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

I did not regret this, as I had many near views of the 
southern bank of the river, and of the beautiful shore of 
Orleans island, with its luxuriant orchards and well culti- 
vated farms, sloping down to the water's edge ; and dark 
forest upon the crest of its elevated interior. This fine 
island, which is 20 miles in length, and five in width, is 
divided into five parishes, and has a population of 5000 
Canadians. While it is an object of the greatest beauty, 
it is at the same time of great usefulness, affording shelter 
to the harbor of Quebec on the east side, and producing 
large supplies of fruits and vegetables of the finest descrip- 
tion. The northern shore consists of low and marshy 
beaches, that abound with game. It is surprising that there 
is no regular communication between the island and the 
city, during the summer season ; but in winter it is easy of 
access, over the frozen river, when the inhabitants convey 
their produce to market. When Carrier visited it in the 
year 1535, the island was covered with vines, on which ac- 
count he called it the Isle of Bacchus. It was on it, also, 
that Wolfe took up his quarters previous to the attack upon 
Quebec. At 8 a. m. we passed St. Vallier and St. John's ; 
the latter upon the island, consisting of entirely white cot- 
tages, which are chiefly inhabited by the branch pilots, 
upwards of 250 of whom find lucrative employment in the 
river navigation during the season, enabling them and 
their families to live comfortably through the long winter, 
in which they are unemployed. 

At noon, we dropped, anchor again, before St. Michel's, 
where we lay until 6 p. m., when we once more renewed 
our tacks, passing the sheltered cove called Patrick's hole, 
in which a fine ship rode, previous to leaving port for sea. 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 95 

This little natural harbour is very valuable, as it securely 
shelters vessels that arrive before the winter's ice is suffi- 
ciently broken up to allow them to gain the city. 

At Anse au Maraud, — which is adjacent, there were 
launched in the year 1824, two enormous ships — the Co- 
lumbus and the Baron of Renfrew, which were built with 
the intention of being broken up in England, the projectors 
thinking thereby to save the duty on the timber of which , 
they were constructed : but their object was frustrated by 
the decision that a voyage should previously be made out 
of an English port. The Columbus traversed the Atlantic, 
and returned in safety ; but was wrecked upon her second 
voyage. The Baron, in whose construction six thousand 
tons of timber were consumed, was 309 feet long, and of 
proportionate breadth. 

She sailed for London on the 25th of August, 1S25, with 
a cargo (it is said of 10,000 tons) of lumber, her four masts 
crowded with sails, and followed down the river by a fleet 
of steamers and pleasure yachts. After a voyage of fifty 
days, she arrived at Dover, where she took on board both 
Deal and river pilots; but her draft of water being thirty 
feet, she could not be taken through the queen's channel, 
which is safe for ships of war. She was therefore obliged 
to remain outside of the Goodwin sands, near the entrance 
of the king's channel. Having encountered a violent gale, 
she grounded upon the Long sands, but was got off on 
the following day. She safely rode out a second gale upon 
the 19th of October, but successive storms, and strong 
northerly winds, eventually drove her upon the Flemish 
banks, and after being buffeted for several weeks by the 
waves, she was shattered to atoms ; the fragments of the 



96 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

wreck and her cargo being wafted along the coast from 
Calais to Ostend. 

Such was the history of these monster ships, whose ill 
fortune deterred Canadian builders from again constructing 
such unwieldly vessels. 

We next passed Beaumont, where the south bank be- 
comes elevated, increasing in height to Point Levi, the tin 
spire of whose church was visible ; and on Orleans Island, 
St. Famille. 

The magnificent fall of Montmorenci then was revealed 
to view, in a sheet of tumbling snow-white foam, set be- 
tween the dark green banks, covered with fir and other 
trees. As we approached nearer, the low thundering sound 
of the " many waters" broke on the ear, which died away 
as we sailed upon the other tack ; and night spread its cur- 
tain over the splendid picture, when we reached the mouth, 
of the river St. Charles, where we dropped anchor. 

Tuesday, 3d August. 

I was charmed with the splendid prospect I enjoyed this 
morning when I came on deck. 

The harbour was thickly covered with vessels, many of 
them noble ships of the largest class. 

The city upon the side of Cape Diamond, with its tin 
covered dome and spires sparkling in the morning sun, 
and surrounded by its walls and batteries, bristling with 
cannon, was crowned by the impregnable citadel, while a 
line of villages spread along the northern shore, reaching 
to Beauport and Montmorenci. The lofty Mount St. 
Anne bounding the view upon the east. Opposite the city 
lay Point Levi, with the village of D'Aubigne; crossing 



THE OCEAxNT PLAGUE. 97 

the river were steam ferry-boats, horse-boats, and canoes ; 
and up the stream, — far as the eye could reach, the banks 
were lined by wharves, and timber ponds, while the breeze 
wafted along a fleet of batteaux, with great white sails ; 
and numberless pilot boats were in constant motion. 

We could not go ashore, neither dare any one come on 
board, until we were discharged from quarantine by the 
Harbour Master, and Medical Inspector. These function- 
aries approached us in a long six-oared boat, with the 
Union Jack flying in her stern. When they came on 
board, they demanded the ship's papers, and clean bills of 
health, which the captain gave them ; in return for which 
he received a release from quarantine. Soon after they 
left us, a butcher brought us fresh meat, milk, eggs and 
vegetables, to which we did ample justice at breakfast; 
when I went with the captain on shore. 
' I remained with the brig during her stay in Quebec 
harbour, and sailed in her for Montreal, on the evening of 
Thursday, 5th August. We were towed up the river by 
a steamboat; and by daylight the following morning were 
passing the mouth of the river Batiscan. 

The sail during the day was extremely pleasing; true, 
the St. Lawrence did not present the same grand features 
as below Quebec, but there was something of exceeding 
interest or beauty to be seen every moment. The banks 
varied in height, but did not gain any great elevation, and 
were lined by an' almost unbroken chain of settlements, 
with villages upon either side at intervals of about ten 
miles. At noon we sailed by Trois Rivieres, upon the 
river St. Maurice, which divides into three branches before 
it empties itself into the St. Lawrence, forming two pretty 



98 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

islands, connected with each other and the main land by 
three handsome bridges. A couple of hours brought us 
into Lake St. Peter, which is an extension of the river, and 
of intricate navigation, affording but a narrow channel, 
which is marked out by buoys and beacons; towards its 
western extremity it is full of low marshy islands, sur- 
rounded by rushes, between which lies the winding pas- 
sage. At sunset we had a charming view of Sorel, upon 
the eastern bank of the Richelieu, which discharges the 
waters of lakes George and Cham plain. 

The river again narrowed, and presented similar features 
as below the expansion. We anchored for the night, and 
early next morning were forcing our way through the rap- 
ids called current St. Mary, passing the village of Longueil, 
and the charming isle St. Helens. Montreal then opened 
to our view, and by 8 a. m. we were moored to its fine 
quay. The brig having completed her cargo, sailed for 
London, on the 19th of August, when I bade the captain 
and the mistress adieu, and followed them some distance 
down the river; until the favorable breeze that filled her 
sails, wafted the brig out of sight. I have represented these 
worthy people just as they appeared to me, and if I have 
spoken too plainly, I would crave their pardon, should 
they ever recognize their lineaments in these sheets, (which 
I do not think probable). Indeed, I should much regret 
causing their displeasure, having received from them every 
attention; their conduct towards me extending even to un- 
wonted kindness, and for which I shall never cease to feel 
grateful. I was anxious to learn if the mate recovered, and 
in compliance with my desire the captain wrote to me 
from Quebec, and also from Green Island. The first of 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 99 

these letters was dated August 23d, and the following is an 
extract from it : 

" I got doun hear on satterday and saled all the way 
down which was a great saving to me it was bubful sale 
we Ankered all night and saled in the day which gave hus 
opertunety of seeing every Curisity we went on Shore and 
got Eags and milk and sead a little of the Contry this 
Mornning I am gowing on Shore if there be any Letters 
for you I will foward them to you I have not heard of my 
Mate Ariving hear yet which Disapoints me Greatly I 
wish you had bean with hus Yesterday we had a Drive in 
the Countrey 9 Miles which was a plesent drive and toke 

tea in the Countrey a long with Cpt . I will sale on 

Tusday Morning My Wife Joyns me in Cinde Regards 
to you." In justice I must also quote the postscript, "you 
must Excuse this as I am in a hury." 

The second letter was written on August 27th. In it the 
captain says, " I am sorey to inform you of my Mate being 
so hill I coled at Grass He for him and went on shore and 
it would have hurt you much to have sean him he was 
mostly but a Skellitan, but though as hill as he was, I 
should have brought him on Boord if the Docter would 
Aload me, I have not any hopes of him, he got nerely 
well, and mite have come up to the ship but as I told you 
made two frea with is self putting Bottel to is head Docter 
to my Wife and me we are all well at present which I 
hope you cape your Helth, my Wife Joyns me in Cind 
regards to you." 

I learned with satisfaction that the brig arrived at her 
destination in safety, but of the mate's fate I still remain 
ignorant. 



100 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

Of the passengers I never afterwards saw but two, 
both of them young men, who got employment upon the 
Lachine canal. The rest wandered over the country, 
carrying nothing with them but disease ; and that but few 
of them survived the severity of the succeeding winter, 
(ruined as their constitutions were,) I am quite confident. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Of comfort no man speak. 
Let's talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs ; 
Make dust our paper, and with rainy eyes 
Write sorrow on the bosom of the earth. 
Let's choose executors, and talk of wills ; 
And yet not so, — for what can we bequeath, 
Save our deposed bodies to the ground ? shakspeare. 

That the system of quarantine pursued at Grosse Isle 
afforded but a very slight protection to the people of Can- 
ada, is too evident from the awful amount of sickness, and 
the vast number of deaths that occurred amongst them 
during the navigable season of 1847. From the plan 
that was adopted, of sending the majority of the emigrants 
from the island directly up to Montreal, Quebec did not 
suffer so much as that city. However, during the three days 
I was there, in the month of August, too many signs of 
death were visible ; and upon a second and more pro- 
longed visit, later in the season, it presented an aspect of 
universal gloom ; the churches being hung in mourning? 
the citizens clothed in weeds ; and the newspapers record- 
ing daily deaths by fever contracted from the emigrants. 
To their honor and praise be it spoken, these alarming 
consequences did not deter either clergymen or physicians 
from the most unremitting zeal in performing their duty, 
and it is to be lamented that so many valuable lives were 
sacrificed. A paper of the month of September contained 
the following paragraph : — " Quarantine Station — Grosse 



102 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

Isle. The Rev. J. Butler, missionary at Kingsey, went 
down on tuesday morning, to take his turn in attendance 
upon the sick at the quarantine station. 

" The Rev. Richard Anderson and Rev. N. Guerontcame 
up on the evening of the same day. The former felt in- 
disposed, and thought it prudent to remain in town for the 
benefit of medical advice. If he should have an attack of 
fever, the precaution thus early taken will, it is hoped, 
prevent its proving severe. We regret to say that the 
Rev. C. J. Morris, recently returned from the station, is 
now seriously ill with Typhus Fever." The death of the 
last gentleman is recorded as follows : " Died, this morning 
at the private hospital at Beauport, of typhus fever, the 
Rev.. Charles J. Morris, A. M., missionary of the church of 
England, at Portneuf in this district. Mr. Morris contract- 
ed the disease which has thus proved fatal to him, in his 
ministrations to the sick at Grosse Isle. The funeral will 
take place in the Cathedral church, to-morrow afternoon, at 
3 o'clock." 

The Rev. Mr. Anderson also died, within a few days of 
the same period ; and that the mortality continued to a late 
part of the season, appears by the following, from the Bos- 
ton Journal of December 1st. " "We learn from Quebec 
that Drs. Painchaud and Jackson, and seven or eight Nuns 
of the Hotel Dieu were sick with the ship fever. One of 
the Quebec physicians says that mortality among the 
physicians during the past season has been greater than it 
was during the Cholera." On Sunday, October 10th, I 
had the pleasure of listening to a discourse delivered in 
St. Patrick's chapel by Rev. Mr. McMahon, before he 
commenced which, he read a list of the names of several 









THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



103 



persons, (emigrants) who were separated from their 
families, and who took this method of endeavoring to find 
them out; the Rev. Gentleman also acknowledged having 
received several sums of money remitted from parties in 
Ireland to friends in Canada, amongst which he said were 
some without signatures, and one of these was directed 
" To my Aunt Biddy," upon which his Reverence re- 
marked that people should be more particular where 
money was concerned. 

Although (as I have already stated) the great body of 
emigrants were sent out to Montreal by steamers, all of 
them could not be so transferred, and many were detained 
in Quebec, where the Marine and Emigrant Hospital 
contained during the season, several hundreds, the number 
that remained upon October 2nd, being 443, of whom 
93 were admitted during the week previous, and in which 
time there were discharged 132, and 46 died. 

One of the first objects that appeared to my view upon 
my arrival in Montreal, was the Emigrant Hospital, upon 
Point St. Charles, a low tract of ground cut off from the 
city by the Lachine canal, and on which the Indians were 
in the habit of encamping every summer before it was 
turned to its present purpose. On the day I arrived, 
August 7th, it contained 907 patients, 16 having died dur- 
ing the last 24 hours. An official return of burials in the 
city was furnished up to the same day, by which it ap- 
peared, that during the previous nine weeks the number 
was 1730, of which 924 were residents, and 806 were emi- 
grants. Exclusive of these there died in the sheds, 1510 
emigrants, making a total of 3,240, being 2,752 more than 
occurred during the corresponding period of the preceding 



104 TIIE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

year. Upon August 23rd the emigrant sheds contained 
1330, 27 having died daring twenty-four hours ; and so late 
as October 11th, there remained 746 patients in them. 

Montreal lost many of her most valuable citizens in 
consequence of the contagion, among whom were Dr. 
Gushing, and the mayor. Neither was the pestilence 
stayed here, for the inhabitants of Kingston, Bytown, 
Toronto, and other places were infected, and a great num- 
ber died of the fever, amongst whom was the Rev. Dr. 
Power, R. C. Bishop of Toronto, who contracted the 
disease in the discharge of his sacred functions among the 
sick. The following extract, taken from the Toronto Stan- 
dard, serves to show the manner in which the people of 
Canada suffered, and their sympathy for those who brought 
so much woe amongst them. " The health of the city 
remains in much the same state as it did several weeks 
ago. The individual cases of fever have abated nothing 
of their violence, and several families have caught the in- 
fection from having admitted emigrants into their houses. 
The greatest caution should be observed in this respect, as 
it does not require contact alone, to infect a healthy person 
with the deadly virus of the fever. Breathing the same 
atmosphere with the infected, or coming under the influence 
of the effluvia rising from their clothes is, in some states of 
the healthy body, perfectly sufficient for effecting a lodg- 
ment of the disease in the human frame. On Monday 
evening last, the report of the Finance Committee, on the 
subject of erecting a House of Refuge for the destitute 
persons who have sought refuge in our City, was received 
by the Council. This committee report in favor of erect- 
ing immediately such a building as would shield those 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 105 

gers from the severities of winter, and recommend that 
a sum not exceeding £5,000 should be expended for that 
purpose, and that this sum should be put under the joint 
superintendence of the Board of Works and the Finance 
Committee, so that now we have from the praiseworthy- 
benevolence and alacrity of the Council, an assured hope, 
that the emigrants will not be exposed to any hardships 
which it is in the power of the city authorities to ward off." 

The reader will bear in mind, that the above relates to 
the city of Toronto, in Western Canada, at a distance of 
upwards of 500 miles from the Quarantine station, whose 
stringent regulations were intended to protect the country 
from contagion. 

It now only remains for me to say a few words respect- 
ing the people that endured and reproduced so much trib- 
ulation. 

The vast number of persons who quitted Europe, to 
seek new homes in the western hemisphere, in the year 
1847, is without a precedent in history. Of the aggregate 
I cannot definitely speak, but to be within the limits of truth, 
they exceeded 350,000. 

More than one half of these emigrants were from Ireland, 
and to this portion was confined the devouring pestilence. 
It is a painful task to trace the causes that led to such fatal 
consequences ; some of them may, perhaps, be hidden, but 
many are too plainly visible. These wretched people 
were flying from known misery, into unknown and tenfold 
aggravated misfortune. That famine which compelled so 
many to emigrate, became itself a cause of the pestilence. 
But that the principal causes were produced by injustice 
and neglect, is plainly proved. Many, as I have already 
6 



106 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

stated, were sent out at the expense of their landlords; 
these were consequently the poorest and most abject of the 
whole, and suffered the most. No doubt the motives of 
some landlords were benevolent ; but all they did was to 
pay for the emigrants' passage — this done, these gentlemen 
washed their hands of all accountability, transferring them 
to the shipping agent, whose object was to stow away the 
greatest possible number between the decks of the vessels 
chartered for the purpose. That unwarrantable induce- 
ments were held out to many, I am aware, causing some 
to leave their homes, who would not otherwise have done 
so. They were given to understand that they would be 
abundantly provided for during the voyage, and that they 
were certain of finding immediate employment upon their 
arrival, at a dollar per day. Another serious injury was 
done many families, who had previously experienced the 
blessings of temperance, from being, upon their arrival 
at the different ports where they were to embark, obliged 
to lodge in public houses of the worst description ; whose 
proprietors, knowing that they possessed a little stock of 
money, seduced them to violate their " pledge," under the 
specious pretext that they were no longer bound by its 
obligations, and that whiskey was the very best preventive 
of sea-sickness. After a detention — often of many days, 
the vessel at length ready for sea, numbers were shipped 
that were quite unfit for a long voyage. True, they were 
inspected, and so were the ships, but from the limited 
number of officers appointed for the purpose, many over- 
sights occurred. In Liverpool, for instance, if I am rightly 
informed, there was a staff of but five or six men to inspect 
the mass of emigrants, and survey the ships, in which 
there sailed from that port 107,474. An additional heavy 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



107 



infliction was their sufferings on ship-board, from famine, 
the legal allowance for an adult being one pound of food 
in twenty-four hours ; but perhaps the most cruel wrong 
was in allowing crowds of already infected beings to be 
huddled up together in the confined holds, there to propa- 
gate the distemper, which there was no physician to stay. 
The sufferings consequent upon such treatment, I have 
endeavoured to portray in the previous narrative, which 
alas ! is but a feeble picture of the unmitigated trials en- 
dured by these most unhappy beings. Nor were their suf- 
ferings ended with the voyage. Oh ! no, far from it. 
Would that I could represent the afflictions I witnessed at 
Grosse Isle ! I would not be supposed to think, that the 
medical officers situated there did not exercise the greatest 
humanity in administering their disagreeable duties, which 
consisted — not in relieving the distress of the emigrants; 
but in protecting their country from contamination. Still 
it was most afflicting, that after combatting the dangers of 
the sea, enduring famine, drought, and sickness, the wretch- 
ed survivors should still have to lie as uncared for as when 
in the centre of the Atlantic Ocean. 

The inefficacy of the quarantine system is so apparent, 
that it is needless to particularize its defects, neither need I 
repeat the details of the grievous aggravations of their 
trials, heaped by it upon the already tortured emigrants. 
My heart bleeds when I think of the agony of the poor 
families who as yet undivided had patiently borne their 
trials, ministering to each other's wants — when torn from 
each other. Painful as it was to behold the bodies of those 
who died at sea, committed to the deep, yet the separa- 
tion of families was fraught with much greater misery. 
And as if to reach the climax of endurance, the relatives 



108 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

and friends of those landed upon the island were at once 
carried away from them to a distance of 200 miles. On 
their way to Montreal, many died on board the steamers. 
There, those who sickened in their progress were received 
into the hospital, and the survivors of this second sifting 
were sent on to Kingston, — 180 miles further; from thence 
to Toronto, and so on, — every city and tow T n being anxious 
to be rid of them. Nor were there wanting villains, who 
preyed upon these stricken people. — The Montreal Her- 
ald of October 13th thus writes. " The rapid closing of 
the season of course diminishes the number of arrivals of 
emigrants, and thus the hospitals and asylums are less 
crowded than they have been at an earlier period of the 
year. The statements are, however, still extremely dis- 
tressing. An assertion has been made in the Common 
Council, and is generally believed to be true, that consider- 
able sums have been brought here by some of these people, 
and consigned by them, in their last moments, to persons 
who have in many instances appropriated the money to 
their own use. An Alderman named Tully, who is known 
to have the means of information, calculates the average 
of the sums brought to Canada by emigrants at d£10 
each — we suppose heads of families." 

In a tour which I made through Upper Canada, I met 
in every quarter some of my poor wandering fellow-coun- 
try people. Travelling from Prescott to Bytown, by stage, 
I saw a poor woman with an infant in her arms, and a 
child pulling at her skirt, and crying as they went along. 
The driver compassionately took them up, and the way- 
farer wept her thanks. She had lost her husband upon 
the voyage, and was going to Bytown to her brother, who 
came out the previous year, and having made some money 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



109 



by lumbering in the woods, remitted to her the means of 
joining him; she told her sad tale most plaintively, and the 
passengers all sympathized with her. The road being of 
that description called " corduroy," and the machine very 
crazy, the latter broke down within five miles of our des- 
tination, and as she was unable to carry her two children, 
the poor creature was obliged to remain upon the road all 
the night. She came into Bytown the following morning, 
and I had the satisfaction to learn that she found her 
brother. 

A large proportion of the emigrants who arrived in 
Canada crossed the frontiers, in order to settle in the United 
States. So that they were to be seen in the most remote 
places. At St. Catherine's, upon the Welland canal, 600 
miles from Quebec, I saw a family, who were on their 
way to the western part of the state of New York. One 
of them was taken ill, and they were obliged to remain by 
the wayside; with nothing but a* few boards to protect 
them from the weather. There is no means of learning 
how many of the survivors of so many ordeals were cut 
off by the inclemency of a Canadian winter, so that the 
grand total of the human sacrifice will never be known 
but by " Him who knoweth all things." 

As I cannot so well convey my sentiments in my own 
language, I will conclude with the following quotation from 
England's most popular writer, and would that his sug- 
gestions uttered five years before the commencement of 
the tragic drama, had been attended to in time: if they had, 
much evil had been spared humanity. " The whole sys- 
tem of shipping and conveying these unfortunate persons 
is one that stands in need of thorough revision. If any 
class deserve to be protected and assisted by the govern- 



HO THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

ment, it is that class who are banished from their native 
land in search of the bare means of subsistence. All 
that could be done for those poor people by the great com- 
passion and humanity of the captain and officers, was 
done, but they require much more. The law is bound, at 
least upon the English side, to see that too many of them 
are not put on board one ship ; and that their accommoda- 
tions are decent, not demoralizing and profligate. It is 
bound, too, in common humanity, to declare that no man 
shall be taken on board without his stock of provisions 
being previously inspected by some proper officer, and 
pronounced moderately sufficient for his support upon the 
voyage. It is bound to provide, or to require that there be 
provided a medical attendant; whereas in these ships there 
are none, though sickness of adults and deaths of children 
on the passage are matters of the very commonest occur- 
rence. Above all, it is the duty of any government, be it 
monarchy or republic, to interpose and put an end to that 
system by which a firm of traders in emigrants purchase 
of the owners the whole 'tween-decks of a ship, and send 
on board as many wretched people as they can get hold of 
on any terms they can get, without the smallest reference 
to the conveniences of the steerage, the number of berths, 
the slightest separation of the sexes, or any thing but their 
own immediate profit. Nor is this the worst of the vicious 
system; for certain crimping agents of these houses, who 
have a per centage on all the passengers they inveigle, are 
constantly travelling about those districts where poverty 
and discontent are rife, and tempting the credulous into 
more misery, by holding out monstrous inducements to 
emigration which never can be realized."^ 

* Dickens. American Notes. 






APPENDIX. 

Immediately a place 
Before his eyes appear'd, sad, noisome, dark ; 
A lazar-house it seem'd ; wherein were laid 
Numbers of all diseased ; all maladies 
Of ghastly spasm, or racking torture, qualms 
Of heart-sick agony, all feverous kinds, 
Marasmus, and wide-wasting pestilence, 
Dropsies, and asthmas, and joint-racking rheums, 
Dire was the tossing, deep the groans : Despair 
Tended the sick, busiest from couch to couch ; 
And over them triumphant Death his dart 
Shook, but delay'd to strike, though oft invoked 
With vows, as their chief good, and final hope. 
Sight so deform what heart of rock could long 
Dry eyed behold r i Milton. 

The intention of this appendix is, by the means of a few 
extracts from newspapers, hospital returns, reports, &c., to 
furnish some further general information respecting the 
ship pestilence. 

But as the previous narrative is not designed to present 
a history of that sad subject, so neither will this sequel 
supply complete statistics regarding it. The extracts go 
no further back than the beginning of August; but will be 
found sufficient to elucidate the events from that time until 
the termination of the season. 

" Grosse Isle. — II y avait samedi dernier a la Grosse 
Isle 2148 malades; du ler au 6 aout 130 personnes sont 
mortes." — La Reveu Canadienne. 

" Monday Afternoon, August 9. 
" Since my last, the wind has been blowing fresh from 



U2 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



the northeast, and several vessels have arrived in port, the 
names of which you will find enclosed. Four have just 
arrived, but are not yet boarded. I make out the names 
of three, viz : — Bark Covenanter, Bark Royal Adelaide, 
and Schooner Maria, of Limerick. The Zealous has not 
yet made her appearance. 

" The accounts from Grosse Isle since my last, are not 
of a favorable nature, and the number of deaths is much 
the same. The building of the new sheds there is advanc- 
ing rapidly. 

" A letter was received this forenoon, from the mate of 
the bark Naparima, with passengers, from Dublin, dated 
off Bic, last Friday, announcing that the Captain, Thomas 
Brierly, died on the 3d instant, and was buried on the same 
day. She was then fifty days out, and short of provisions, 
— about 20 of the passengers were sick, but were recover- 
ing when the mate wrote, and he intended to put into 
some convenient place for supplies. There was a pilot 
on board, and every exertion would be made to get her up 
to the Quarantine Station as soon as possible." 

— Quebec Correspondence of the Montreal Herald. 

" We are in possession of the latest news from C4rosse 
Isle. The hospital statement yesterday, the 9th, was 2240. 
There is a large fleet of vessels at the station, and amongst 
them some very sickly, as it may be seen from the follow- 



Bark Ellen Simpson, Limerick, 
Brig Anna Maria, " 

Bark Amy, Bremen, 



sscngers. 

184 


Deaths. 

4 


119 


1 


289 








APPENDIX. 






113 


Brig Watchful, 


Hamburg, 


145 


i 


_ 


Ship Ganges, 


Liverpool, 


393 


45 


80 


Bark Corea, 


u 


501 


18 


7 


Bark Larch, 


Sligo, 


440 


108 


150 


Bark Na pari ma, 


Dublin, 


226 


7 


17 


Bark Britannia, 


Greenock, 


386 


4 


25 


Brig Trinity, 


Limerick, 


S6 


all well. 


— 


Bark Lilias, 


Dublin, 


219 


5 


6 


Bark Brothers, 


a 


318 


6 


, 



"A full rigged ship just coming in — not yet board- 
ed. 

" The hospitals have never been so crowded, and the 
poor creatures in the tents (where the healthy are), are 
dying by dozens! Eleven died on the night of the 
8th, and one on the road to the hospital yesterday morn- 
ing. 

" Captain Head, of the Marchioness of Breadalbane, 
died in hospital on the 7th. The Captain of the Virginius 
died the day after his arrival at Grosse Isle. 

" We regret to learn that the Rev. Mr. Paisley is in a 
critical state. He was dangerously ill this morning. 

" Since writing the above we learn that 60 new cases 
were admitted into hospital, and 300 more, arrived on the 
8th and 9th, remain to be admitted ! " 

— - Quebec Mercury, August 10th, 1847. 

" The Steamer St. George arrived from Grosse Isle yes- 
terday afternoon, but brought nothing of importance. The 
cool temperature of the last few days has had a favorable 
effect on the sick in the tents, and fewer cases of fever 
had appeared. 
6* 



•Q4 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

" The Ship Washington from Liverpool, 9th of July, 
had arrived at the station yesterday. She has one cabin, 
and 305 steerage passengers, had 22 deaths and 20 sick. 
She reports 15 vessels with passengers in the Traverse. 

— Quebec Chronicle. 

" Hospital return — Grosse Isle, September 14th, 1847. 
Remaining on 14th, 1386, 

Died 12th to 13th inst., 41." 

a Hospital return — Grosse Isle, from 19th to 25th of Sept. 

Remaining on 19th, 1196, Discharged, 234, 

Admitted since, 436, Died, 121, 



1632 355 

355 



1277 



" Deaths at the sheds, where the healthy passengers are 
landed, during the same period — 10. 

" There are 1240 cases of fever, and 37 cases of small 
pox. Two men died whilst being landed from the Emi- 
grant, and 162 cases were admitted into hospital from the 
same vessel." 

" Hospital statement to the 28th : 

Men, 473 

Women, 441 

Children, 349 



Total, 1263 



APPENDIX. 115 



Grosse Isle. — Return of sick in hospitals 1st October. 

Discharged. Died. Remaining. 

Men, 414 103 7 304 

Women, 412 156 3 253 

Children, 326 109 1 216 



1152 368 11 773 

(Signed) I. M. Douglass, Med. Sup. 

" About 400 convalescents went up to Montreal in the 
Canada on Thursday last, and 35 came up to Quebec in 
the Lady Colborne on Friday. 

" This has enabled the Medical Superintendent to close 
another hospital ; and this day the services of two more 
medical men, with their staff of orderlies and nurses will 
be dispensed with." 

" Hospital statement, 5th October. 
" Men, 230 — Women, 124— - Children, 150 — Total, 504- 
" There were then three vessels with emigrants at the 
station." 

" A Melancholy Tale of Woe. 

" On Saturday last, 30th October, the Lord Ashburton, 
from Liverpool, 13th September, with general cargo and 
passengers, arrived at Grosse Isle in a most wretched state. 

" When sailing she had 475 steerage passengers, and be- 
fore her arrival at the Quarantine Station, she had lost 
107 by dysentery and fever ; and about 60 of those re- 
maining were then ill of the same complaints. So deplora- 
ble was the condition of those on board that five of the 
passengers had to remain to work the ship up from Grosse 
Isle." — Quebec Mercury. 



U6 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

u Emigration from Liverpool. 

" The amount of emigration from Great Britain and Ire- 
land has this year far surpassed that of any previous year, 
as will be seen from the following returns, made up on 
the 6th instant, of emigration from this port alone: — 



United States, 




77,403 


Canada, 




27,666 


New Brunswick, 




1,479 


Nova Scotia, 




171 


Prince Edward's 


Isle, 


444 


Other places, 




311 



Total, 107,474 

" Of this vast number of emigrants, two thirds were Irish, 
and of the remaining one third, two fifths were Scotch and 
English, and one fifth German, of whom a larger number 
than formerly left this port during the past season." 

Reports of the following vessels upon their arrival at 
Grosse Isle ; namely, 

Sir Henry Pottinger, 
Bark "Wellington, 
Bark Sir Robert Peel, 
Schooner Jessie, 
Bark Anne Rankin, 
Bark Zealous, 

" We are glad to learn that the Soeurs Grisesfk amongst 
* The Gray Sisters, a community of charitable Nuns. 



Passengers. 


Deaths. 


Sick. 


Cork, 399 


98 


112 


Liverpool, 435 


26 


30 


" 458 


24 


12 


Limerick, 108 


2 


16 


Glasgow, 332 


7 


3 


London, 120 


1 


5 



APPENDIX. 117 



whom sickness and death have made such fearful havoc, 
during their self-immolating ministrations to the dying 
emigrants, are again pursuing their charitable labors at the 
Sheds at Point St. Charles. We are happy to learn, also, 
that the sickness in Griffintown is rapidly on the de- 



The following advertisement is a specimen of many of 
a similar nature, that daily appeared in the newspapers ; 
and requires no comment. 

" Information wanted of Abraham Taylor, aged 12 
years, Samuel Taylor, 10 years, and George Taylor, 8 
years old, from county Leitrim, Ireland, who landed in 
Quebec about five weeks ago — their mother having been 
detained at Grosse Isle. Any information respecting them 
will be thankfully received ry their brother, William Taylor, 
at this office." — Montreal Transcript, September 11th, 1847. 

" The ' Quebec Chronicle ' having obtained permission 
to copy them from the official records, has commenced the 
publication of the names of all the unfortunates who have 
died in the hospital at Grosse Isle, with their ages and the 
names of the vessels in which they came to Canada, as 
well as the date of the decease. The < Chronicle ' deserves 
well of the community, for thus affording the relatives of 
the poor sufferers the means of knowing what has become 
of them." — Montreal Courier. 

" The immigration commissioners report that 94 vessels 
have landed in the Province of New Brunswick, the pres- 
ent season, 15,269 passengers. The deaths at sea on board 
these vessels, were six hundred and sixty two." 



118 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



" The schooner Victoria, from Quebec, with 20 passen- 
gers, anchored at the Quarantine ground on Tuesday last. 
She had three cases of typhus fever on board. The pas- 
sengers and crew were landed on Middle Island this morn- 
ing, the captain securing the maintainance of the healthy 
passengers and crew until discharged." — Miramichi 
Gleaner ) 27th July. 

" Emigration to New York. — We have received from 
Senator Folsom a printed copy of the report forwarded to 
the Legislature by the Commissioners of Emigration at 
this port It is dated October 1st, 1847. The board of 
Commissioners having been organized on the 8th May 
last, Robert Taylor being appointed agent, and William 
F. Havemeyer, president — proceeded immediately to take 
charge of the sick and destitute emigrants. Having filled 
the Quarantine hospitals, all the spare rooms connected 
with the City Almshouse department were hired at a dol- 
lar per week for each destitute emigrant, and a dollar and 
a half per week for the sick. But the introduction of fever 
patients at the Almshouse was attended with too much 
risk, and buildings were erected for their accommodation on 
Staten Island. These being still inadequate, the buildings 
on the Long Island Farma were leased, but the fear of 
contagion so alarmed the neighborhood, that the buildings 
were burned by incendiaries. 

The United States Government at once granted their 
warehouses at Quarantine for the accommodation of the 
sick. They were soon filled, as all the principal hospitals, 
public and private, to which the Commissioners had to 
resort. At this crisis, a large stone building was leased on 



APPENDIX. 



119 



Ward's Island, which with buildings subsequently added 
to it, afforded ample accommodation for the thousands de- 
pendent upon their benevolent undertaking. 

" Many were destitute of clothing, and from May to 
September, ten thousand three hundred and eight articles 
of dress were made at Ward's Island and furnished to 
them, by direction of the Commissioners. Hundreds have 
been provided with employment in the interior of the state 
and many forwarded West at the expense of the Commis- 
sioners. 

" The number of passengers who arrived from May 
5th to Sept. 30th, inclusive, and for whom commutation 
money was paid, or bonds given, was 101,546, of whom 
only 25 were bonded. 

" Of said passengers there were natives of 



Germany, 


43,208 


Italy, 




130 


Ireland, 


40,820 


Sweden, 




119 


England and Wales, 6,501 


Spain, 




72 


Holland, 


2,966 


Denmark, 




51 


France, 


2,633 


Portugal, 




31 


Scotland, 


1,856 


Poland, 




21 


Switzerland, 


1,506 


East Indies 


; 5 


6 


Norway, 


881 


Turkey, 




1 


Belgium, 


478 


South America, 


1 


West Indies, 


265 
















Total, 


101,546 


Of which number there were 








Forwarded 


Temporarily 


Sent to 


Sent to 




from the city. 


relieved. 


Hospitals. 


Alms house. 


427. 


217. 


5,148. 


713 




Total, 6,505, 


of whom were 


Irish 3,792. 







120 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

" Adding: to the above 256 emigrants who were in Hos- 
pital at the time the Commissioners entered upon their 
duties, we have 6,761, the total number under their care up 
to the date of this report. 

" Of these, seven hundred and three died between the 8th 
of May and the 1st October. The names, ages, and places 
of birth, of the dead, are not given. This is an oversight 
which ought to be corrected. 

" It seems, also, that no provision was made for the erec- 
tion of any memorial over their graves." — New York 
Paper. 

" Ship Fever. — The British ship India, Gray, (late 
Thompson), arrived yesterday from Liverpool, afler a pas- 
sage of 57 days. Captain Thompson died of the ship 
fever on the 14th inst., (January, 1848) and during the pas- 
sage 39 of the passengers died of the same disease. The 
chief officer of the ship, and a large number of the passen- 
gers are now sick. When the India left Liverpool she 
had two hundred and seventy passengers." 

— New York Express. 

" The British Ship Viceroy, arrived at New Orleans on 
the 5th instant, with 286 immigrants. 

" Fourteen had died on the passage, and many others 
were very sick, and sent to the Charity Hospital. The 
Orizaba, which arrived from Liverpool on the 31st ult., 
had shipped 170 ; 24 of whom died, and most of the rest 
were sent to the Hospital." — Boston Mail, Jan. 19///, 1848. 



APPENDIX. 121 



" Report of Deer Island Hospital, Boston, for the week 
ending- January 26th, 1848. 

Number remaining as per last week's report, 311 
Admitted since, 28 

Total, — 339 

Discharged, 36 

Died, 13 49 

Remaining, 290 

"Whole number admitted to this date, 2,230 

Whole number buried on the Island, 347 

Of whom were brought from the ship dead, 20 

Died the day of their reception, 8 

In carriage, 2" 

— Boston Journal. 

"Foreign Emigrants. — A communication from the 
State Department was laid before the House of Represent- 
atives on Friday last, reporting the nu nber of passengers 
who arrived from foreign countries on shipboard, during 
the year ending the 30th of September last. The number 
of males was 139,166; females, 99,325; sex not reported, 
989 ; total, 239,480. The prospect is that the number will 
be much larger the present year. 

u Of the above number of passengers, 145,83S landed in 
New York; 20,848 in Massachusetts; 5,806 in Maine; 
14,777 in Pennsylvania; 12,018 in Maryland; 34,803 in 
Louisiana, and 3,873 in Texas." — Boston Journal. 

Abstract statement of payments on account of the ex- 
penses attending emigration, in the Province of Canada, 
during the season 1847. Taken from the Inspector Gen- 
eral's report. 



122 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



Amount paid for the erection of Hospital Sheds. 

At Grosse Isle, £10,609, 11, 7 

At Quebec, 1,120, 0, 

At Montreal, 15,914, 17, 5 

£27,644, 9, 
For transport of emigrants inland, includ- 
ing cost of provisions, 35,450, 0, 
For Boards of Health. 

Canada, East and West, 60,220, 19, 7 

Expenses at Quarantine Station, 15,465, 17, 6 

Emigration Agent for transport, 10,502, 4, 5 
Board of Health, and Emigrant Hospital 

at Quebec, 8,000, 0, 



Total, £157,283 10, 6 

Table showing the comparative number of emigrants 
to the ports designated, viz : 



Quebec, 


1846 

32,753 


1847 

98,105 


Increase 1847 

65,352 


New York, 


97,843 


145,890 


48,047 


New Orleans, 


22,148 


40,442 


18,294 


Boston, 


14,079 


20,745 


6,666 


Philadelphia, 


7,236 


14,763 


7,527 


Baltimore, 


9,327 


12,018 


2,691 




183,386 


331,963 


148,577 



" Emigration to British North America. 
" Emigration returns just issued by order of her Majesty, 
state that the numbers who embarked in Europe, in 1847, 
for Canada, was 98,006. Viz : 



APPENDIX. 



123 



* From England, 32,228 

From Ireland, 54,329 

From Scotland, 3,752 

From Germany, 7,697 



98,006 

Of the whole number 91,882 were steerage passengers, 
684 cabin, and 5541 infants. Deducting from this aggre- 
gate the Germans and the cabin passengers, the entire 
number of emigrants who embarked at British ports was 
89,738, of whom 5,293 died before their arrival, leaving 
84,445 who reached the colony. Of these it is estimated 
that six sevenths were from Ireland. Of the 84,445 who 
reached the colony alive, no less than 10,037 died after 
their arrival. Of the remainder no less than 30,265 were 
admitted into Hospital for medical treatment. Up to the 
12th of November last, the number of destitute emigrants 
forwarded from the agency at Montreal to Upper Canada 
was 38,781." — New Orleans Prise Current. 

As the conduct of Irish landlords has been severely 
commented upon, in the foregoing pages, it is but just 
to inform the reader of a most honorable exception ; and 
which it affords the author extreme gratification to be en- 
abled to do, by transcribing the following article from the 
" British Canadian." 

" Last Season's Emigration. 

" Among the landlords who last summer were desirous of 
providing an asylum for a portion of their tenantry, was 

* It may be necessary to remark that many of the Irish emigrants sailed 
from English ports. 



124 



THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 



one who was actuated by far other motives than merely 
getting rid of so many people. We trust there were others 
urged by similar motives, but there were some not very 
creditable exceptions. Steven E. De Vere, Esq., a gentle- 
man of fortune, and the proprietor of some estates in the 
South of Ireland, having heard a great deal about the evils 
and benefits of emigration to this Province, and hearing 
also of the sufferings of many poor people who had been 
sent from the country, determined to try ihe experiment 
himself. This he came to the conclusion to do, not 
by making arrangements for the transport of so many 
hundreds of thousands of his tenantry, and remaining at 
home to hear as much, or as little as might be, of their 
fate ; but he would see for himself. He accordingly picked 
some dozen volunteers from among the numbers who 
would gladly have accompanied him, and with them took 
shipping for Quebec, in the steerage of one of the regular 
passenger ships. Landlord and Tenant fared alike, the 
former taking careful notes of the events of the passage. 
Of the voyage we need say nothing more than that it was 
of the average character — there was all ihe disease, ill 
usage-, and wretchedness of which our readers have often 
been made perfeclly aware; — the state of things which 
imported the fever that carried off many of our most 
valued friends and citizens. At Quebec, proceedings were 
commenced against the Captain, which were ultimately 
compounded upon his paying a certain amount for the 
benefit of the suffering Emigrants. Mr. De Vere proceeded 
to Upper Canada, and closely observed the whole process 
of transportation, to the very last destination — the graves 
of the fever-stricken people. In Toronto this philanthropic 



APPENDIX. 



125 



gentleman attended the emigrant office, and rendered much 
assistance to the lamented and indefatigable agent, Mr. Mc 
Elderly, boarding with him every steamer filled with the 
wretched cargoes, and transmitting to the " proper au- 
thorities" the result of his laborious experience. He was 
well pleased with the management of our hospitals; but 
shocked, as every one was, with the mode of transporting 
the poor people hither. Some of the steamboat cargoes 
were sufficient to recall to the mind the horrors of the sea 
voyage. Mr. De Vere's people suffered from fever, but re- 
covered, receiving his constant personal attendance. The 
fact of this gentleman's investigations being laid before the 
Colonial Secretary, and some members of the House of 
Lords, coming as they did from one well known, and who 
could not possibly have any interest in writing, but the 
benefit of his countrymen, has had a good effect, and he 
merits well of the people of this Province, as well as the 
emigrating population of the mother country. 

Few men are found to act from such pure disinterested- 
ness in these days, and it is gratifying to observe the result 
of such labors. 

Mr. De Vere returns shortly to England, and, by making 
his views public, will, we hope, be the means of obtaining 
further improvements, as those already made are by no 
means sufficient. One fact is certain, his information may 
be implicitly relied upon by government ; for he has ob- 
tained it himself, on the spot, and by the most careful, and 
indeed dangerous investigation, as the above mentioned 
facts fully show." 

It was the author's intention to confine himself to the 



126 THE OCEAN PLAGUE. 

occurrences of the year 1847 ; but as the publication of 
the foregoing narrative has been delayed longer than was 
anticipated, it may here be observed that he had strong 
hopes that judicious precautions would have been taken to 
prevent the repetition this season, of the tragic scenes of 
the last. 

Some legislative enactments for the further regulation of 
Emigrant ships have been passed by Great Britain, during 
the last session of Parliament ; but it is much to be feared 
that they will prove quite inefficient. It is painful to ob- 
serve the very unfavorable accounts from some of the 
Ports of the United States, as well as of New Brunswick 
and Nova Scotia. 

As regards Canada the prospect is exceedingly gloomy, 
to judge from the conduct of the executive government 
in forbidding the publication, or issue of any reports from 
the Quarantine Station, respecting the state of things there. 

Were not the trials of the wretched emigrant already 
sufficiently great, that he must 

" To such unsightly sufferings he debased ? " 

The Press has boldly taken up the matter, and it is to be 
hoped that the appearance arid repetition of such articles 
as the following will tend to the repeal of the obnoxious 
and cruel edict. 

li Grosse Isle Intelligence. 

" The executive government have forbidden the transmis- 
sion of any news or statements from the island, except, we 
suppose, to head quarters, that is, to themselves. This is a 
proceeding as arrogant as it is absurd and mischievous. 



APPENDIX. 127 



Last year full reports were given to the public of the state 
of the island and the proceedings there, as well from of- 
ficial as from private sources. Why then interdict the 
publication this year, when more than ever a faithful re- 
turn of the health and sickness prevailing at the quarantine 
station is most desirable ? 

If the prohibition be intended to prevent alarm, it is 
founded upon false premises, as, in the absence of au- 
thentic information, wild and exaggerated rumors obtain 
credence. The public have a right to be informed of what 
is passing at Grosse Isle." — Kingston Chronicle, 17th 
June, 1848. 

It is unnecessary to bring forward any further evidence 
of the popular indignation so warmly expressed against 
such despotic cruelty. How long will 

" Oppression, with her heart 
Wrapp'd up in triple brass, besiege mankind 1 " 

THE END. 






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